Scented material compositions and articles for use with food and beverage

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are scented material compositions, articles and methods of their manufacture. In some aspects, a scented attachment for a beverage container includes a scented article including a body loaded with a volatile chemical compound to emanate from the body of the scented article to generate a scent, in which the scented article includes at least one interior protruding structure that projects from an interior wall of the body of the scented article and is configured to attach to a bottle and be enclosed by a cap and the bottle when the cap is securely fastened to the bottle, such that the scent from the scented attachment is trapped when the cap is securely attached to the bottle and releases into an outer environment when the cap is detached from the bottle, in which the scented article comprises a scented material formed of a fragrance oil and a plastic base material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent document claims priorities to and benefits of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/649,215 entitled “SCENTED MATERIALCOMPOSITIONS AND ARTICLES FOR USE WITH FOOD AND BEVERAGE” filed on Mar.28, 2018, and also claims priorities to and benefits of and is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/136,664entitled “SCENTED ATTACHMENT FOR CONTAINERS” and filed on Sep. 20, 2018,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/782,720entitled “SCENTED ATTACHMENT FOR CONTAINERS” and filed on Oct. 12, 2017,now U.S. Pat. No. 10,086,104, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/588,571 entitled “SCENTED ATTACHMENT FORCONTAINERS” and filed on May 5, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,801,969, whichis a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/429,300entitled “SCENTED ATTACHMENT FOR CONTAINERS” and filed on Mar. 23, 2012,now abandoned, which claims the benefits and priority of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/467,888, entitled “SCENTEDATTACHMENT FOR CONTAINERS”, which was filed on Mar. 25, 2011. The entirecontents of the aforementioned patent applications are incorporated byreference as part of the disclosure of this application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent document relates to scented material compositions andarticles for use with food and beverage, including methods and equipmentfor their manufacture, and, in particular, scented articles for ascented bottle cap system having a scented attachment for enhancing auser's sense of smell and/or taste.

BACKGROUND

The nasal cavity has specialized sensory cells that mediate olfaction.The main olfactory system of humans and animals detects volatilechemicals, and the accessory olfactory system detects fluid-phasechemicals. Olfaction like taste is a form of chemoreception. Thechemicals that activate the olfactory system, generally at very lowconcentrations, are called odorants. Accordingly, there is a commonalitybetween the perception of smell and the perception of taste. In fact, incertain instances, the sense of smell may supplement and/or otherwiseenhance the sense of taste. For instance, it is well known that maladiesaffecting the sense of smell adversely affect the sense of taste. Astaste plays an important role in ones motivation for consuming a food ordrink article, there is an interest in the art for agents that enhancethe perception of taste of food and drink articles. The presentdisclosure addresses these and other such needs.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure include an attachment for providing a scent toa container. In certain instances, the scented attachment is configuredfor being associated with a container, such as a drink or a food storagecontainer. The scented attachment may be associated with the containerin any suitable manner. In some instances, the scented attachment is ofa size or shape so as to fit around a circumference of the container.Thus, the scented attachment may be a sleeve, a wrap, a ring, or thelike. In another instance, the scented attachment may be configured forbeing associated to the container with a suitable attachment mechanism.For instance, the scented attachment may include a substrate having afirst and a second surface. The first surface comprises an attachmentmechanism for associating the scented attachment to the container; and asecond surface comprises a scent. In such a manner, a scented agent maybe associated with a food or drink container so as to enhance theperception of the taste of the food or drink contained therein, thereby,enhancing the experience and/or ones motivation in eating or drinking.Also provided is a method for its use and a system for providing a scentto a container that includes a scented attachment, as described herein,and a container that is configured for being associated with thecontainer.

In some aspects, a scent delivery system for a beverage containerincludes a bottle to contain a fluid beverage, the bottle structured toinclude a body region and a neck region, the bottle including a collarthat extends outward and circumferentially around the neck region, and aledge structure that extends outward and circumferentially around theneck region and is positioned above the collar; a scent ring including abody loaded with a volatile chemical agent to emanate from the body ofthe scent ring to generate a scent, the scent ring structured to includeat least one interior protruding structure that projects from aninterior wall of the body of the scent ring, in which the scent ring isconfigured to fasten around the neck region of the bottle based oncontact between the at least one interior protruding structure of thescent ring and the ledge structure of the bottle, in which the at leastone interior protruding structure is positioned below the ledgestructure; and a cap reversibly attachable to the bottle, the capincluding an interior rim structure that projects from andcircumferentially around an interior cap wall of the cap, in which thecap is structured to enclose the scent ring in a compartment formedbetween the collar of the bottle and the interior rim structure of thecap when the cap is securely fastened to the bottle, in which the systemis configured to trap the scent from the scent ring in the compartmentwhen the cap is securely attached to the bottle and to release the scentinto an outer environment of the bottle when the cap is detached fromthe bottle.

In some aspects, a scented attachment for a beverage container includesa scented article having a body that comprises a scented materialincluding a plastic material loaded with a volatile chemical compound toemanate from the body of the scented article to generate a scent, inwhich the scented article includes at least one interior protrudingstructure that projects from an interior wall of the body of the scentedarticle and is configured to attach to a bottle, in which the scentedarticle is produced by a process comprising: selecting a loadingparameter of a fragrance oil with respect to a plastic base material tomanufacture the scented material, in which the loading parameterincludes a % concentration of the scented material in a range of 1% to30%; melting the plastic base material in a chamber includingmechanically processing the base material to cause the plastic basematerial to change from a solid phase to a liquid phase or liquid-likephase at a particular viscosity; mixing an amount of the fragrance oilin accordance with the selected loading parameter with the melted basematerial at a predetermined temperature and pressure in the chamber toform an intermediary scented material; extruding the intermediaryscented material through holes of an extrusion plate to form an extrudedintermediary scented material; modifying the extruded intermediaryscented material to form scented particles; cooling the scentedparticles in a fluid bath that prevents exposure of the scentedparticles to air; drying the cooled scented particles without applyingheat to produce the scented material; and producing the scented articleby molding the scented particles to a shape of the scented article.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

According to common practice, the various features of the drawings maynot be drawn to-scale. Rather, the dimensions of the various featuresmay be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. Included in thedrawings are the following figures:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate instances of a scented ring in accordancewith the disclosure, in which FIG. 1A represents one instance of thescented ring, and FIG. 1B represents another instance of the scentedring.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate instances of a scented strip in accordancewith the disclosure, in which FIG. 2A illustrates a scented strip havinga main body and a removable portion with a scented portion within themain body, and FIG. 2B illustrates an instance of a scented strip havinga removable portion that is configured for detachably interacting with alid of the container.

FIG. 3A illustrates another instance of a scented attachment where thescent is integrated into at least a portion of the container.

FIG. 3B illustrates another instance of a scented attachment.

FIG. 4 illustrates another instance of a scented attachment of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 5 illustrates a scented capsule.

FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of an example embodiment of a scentedbottle cap system.

FIG. 7 shows an example embodiment of the scented ring of the scentedbottle cap system.

FIGS. 8A and 8B show example embodiments of the cap of the scentedbottle cap system.

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the scented ring coupled with thecap.

FIG. 10A shows a cross-sectional view of the scented bottle cap systemwhen the scented ring, the cap and the bottle are assembled.

FIGS. 10B, 10C and 10D show magnified views of aspects of the scentedbottle cap system shown in FIG. 10A.

FIGS. 11A and 11B show example embodiments of the scented ring of thescented bottle cap system.

FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C show example embodiments of the scented ring ofthe scented bottle cap system.

FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram an example embodiment of a method tomanufacture a scented bottle cap system in accordance with embodimentsof the disclosure.

FIG. 14 shows a flow diagram of an example method to manufacture ascented material in accordance with the present technology that can beused to produce a scented article, such as the disclosed scentedattachments.

FIG. 15 shows a diagram of an example system to produce a scentedmaterial in accordance with the present technology.

Before the present disclosure is further described, it is to beunderstood that this disclosure is not limited to particular instancesdescribed, as such may of course vary. It is also to be understood thatthe terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularinstances only, and is not intended to be limiting. Unless definedotherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the samemeaning as commonly understood by one skilled in the art to which thisinvention belongs.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in thatstated range, is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lowerlimits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in thesmaller ranges, and are also encompassed within the invention, subjectto any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the statedrange includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either orboth of those included limits are also included in the invention.

Throughout this application, various publications, patents and publishedpatent applications may be cited. The disclosures of these publications,patents and published patent applications referenced in this applicationare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into the presentdisclosure. Citation herein of a publication, patent, or publishedpatent application is not an admission of said publication, patent, orpublished patent application as prior art.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, thesingular forms “a”, “and”, and “the” include plural referents unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to an“opening” may include a plurality of such openings, and reference to“the gripping element” includes reference to one or more grippingelements and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, andso forth. It is further noted that the claims may be drafted to excludeany optional element. As such, this statement is intended to serve asantecedent basis for use of such exclusive terminology as “solely”,“only” and the like, in connection with the recitation of claimelements, or the use of a “negative” limitation.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading thisdisclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustratedherein has discrete components and features which may be readilyseparated from or combined with the features of any of the other severalembodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the disclosure include an attachment for providing a scent toa container. In certain instances, the attachment is a ring or a stickerthat is configured for removable association with a container, such as afood or a drink container. In some instances, the ring is configured forwrapping around a portion of the container. In another instance, thesticker is configured for being removably stuck onto a portion of thecontainer. The attachment is configured such that during use of thecontainer having the scented attachment, a subjects' olfactory system isactivated by the scent of the attachment, which thereby enhances thesensation, e.g., the perception of taste, of eating or drinking the foodor drink item that is contained within the container.

In some instances, the ring includes a circular body with a lumen,wherein the body is configured for being removably associated with acontainer. For instance, the scented ring includes a stretchable bodythat is adapted for being fit over a portion of the container. Incertain embodiments, the body of the ring is comprised of an elasticmaterial that deforms in a manner such that the diameter of the ring mayincrease when a stretching force is applied to the ring and/or return toits normal state once the stretching force has been removed. In a mannersuch as this, the ring may be fit over a portion of the container, suchas a neck of a bottle, so as to enhance the perception of consuming theitem contained within the container.

In another instance, the attachment may be configured as a stickingelement and may include a substrate having a first and a second surface.The first surface may include an attachment mechanism for associatingthe scented attachment to the container; and a second surface comprisesa scent. The attachment surface may include an adhesive or otherattachment mechanism, such that it may adhere to a surface of thecontainer. The scented surface may include a matrix configured forreleasably holding a scent that may be released there form during theuse of the container.

The subject scented attachments of the disclosure will be describedfirst, followed by a description of the methods of their use and thesystems in which such scented attachments may be employed. A discussionof representative uses of the subject materials is also presented.

Scented Attachments, Systems and Methods of Use

As can be seen with respect to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the disclosure providesan attachment for providing a scent to an object, such as a container.In some instances, the attachment 10 is a ring that is configured forproviding a scent to a container, e.g., a food or drink container 20. By“scent” is meant any agent that is capable of being incorporated withinthe attachment, being released there from, and stimulating an olfactorysensation of a subject.

For instance, in certain instances, a scent may be a chemical agent thatstimulates a chemoreceptor of the olfactory system of the subject orotherwise stimulates sense of smell and/or taste of a subject. Forexample, in certain instances, a scent may be a volatile compound orodorant, such as a fragrant or other essential oil. Where the scent is afragrant oil, it may be a food derived oil such as a citrus oil, a mintoil, anise oil, cardamom oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, coriander oil,eucalyptus oil, fennel oil, lemongrass oil, and/or a nutmeg oil, and thelike. The scent may be a citrus oil such as a lemon oil, a lime oil, aneroli oil, and/or an orange oil, and the like. In certain instances,scent comprises a mint oil such as a peppermint oil and/or spearmintoil, and the like.

The scented essential oil may be incorporated within the attachment inany suitable manner. For instance, the attachment may include a matrixwithin which the essential oil may be incorporated. The matrix mayinclude a liquid or a gel, which may include the scent. The liquid orgel may be associated with the material employed to fabricate theattachment. For example, the attachment may be constructed in anysuitable manner and may be fabricated from any suitable material. Incertain instances, a suitable material may be one or more of an elasticmaterial, a foamed or vulcanized rubber, neoprene, polyurethane, nylon,lycra, plastic, silicone, and/or a silicone containing material. Hence,the material from which the attachment is produced may be fabricatedinto a ring or sheet and compression or liquid injection molded into aprotective device in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

For instance, the body of the attachment may be fabricated usingcompression molding, during which process an element containing anessential oil is added thereto either during or after the moldingprocess. Additionally, a colorant or other chemical additive may beadded to the sheet blanks, which become the compression molded endproduct, for instance, to color and/or to aid in the release of theproduct from the mold. In certain instances, the attachment is made froma single piece of shaped or otherwise molded material and may include acavity into which a scented material, e.g., a gel or substratecontaining an essential oil associated therewith is injected orotherwise inserted into the lumen of the scented attachment. The mainbody of the attachment may comprise elastic properties, such that theattachment can deform to receive a portion of a container, e.g., a neckthereof, and then reform to its original configuration automatically,that is without the need for external manipulation. In certaininstances, the attachment may include a main body that is pre-formedinto a substrate onto one surface of which a gel or other matrixcontaining a scented agent, e.g., an essential oil, is added; and to anopposing surface, a suitable attachment mechanism, e.g., an adhesive, isadded. One or more removable covers may be added to cover one or more ofthe scented surface and/or the attachment surface.

The attachment can be made into any desired shape such as a tube, asquare or rectangular box, a triangular, pyramidal or circular shape, orthe like. And thus the attachment may be configured for fitting aroundsuitable container, such as a round, circular, triangular, square,rectangular, cube shaped container, or the like, and may be of regularor irregular dimensions, so as to fit a variety of bottles, jars, andthe like. In certain instances, a scented attachment such as attachment10 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and the material from which it is fabricatedis hygienic, light weight and flexible such that the material is capableof expanding so as to allow the attachment to expand around the contoursof the container 20 to be received thereon and snuggly fits around thecontainer 20, and yet be configured for returning to its originalconfiguration once the container 20 has been removed from theattachment.

Accordingly, the attachment 10 may be of any suitable size and shape,but is typically of a size and shape so as to be non-obstructivelyassociated with the container 20. The container 20 may be any containersuch as a container for storing a beverage or other food article. Thecontainer 20 may be of any size or any shape, but is typically of a sizeand a shape suitable for containing a drink or food product, such as adrink or food product that is meant to be readily consumed by a subject.For instance, the container 20 may be a plastic or glass container, ametal or metal alloy container, or the like. If the container 20 is madeof glass, the glass may be of any suitable type of glass, such assilicon dioxide, sodalime glass, pyrex, lead crystal, and the like. Ifthe container 20 is made of metal, the metal may be of any suitable typeof metal, such as aluminum, steel (e.g., stainless steel), tin, and thelike. The container 20 for use in accordance with various embodiments ofthe scented attachment disclosed herein may also include alloys of anysuitable metals. The container 20 may also be a plastic container, suchas a TUPPERWARE® or RUBBERMAID® or GLAD® container.

The container 20 may contain any material, such as a solid, liquid, orgas. In certain instances, the container 20 is a fluid container thatcontains a liquid. The liquid within the container may be any form ofliquid. In certain embodiments, the liquid is a liquid that is meant tobe imbibed. For instance, in certain embodiments, the liquid is a liquidsuch as, water, soda, a liquid nutrient, a juice, an electrolyte, asports drink, an alcoholic beverage, and the like. In certainembodiments, the container 20 is a solid object container, for instance,a food container that contains a solid food. For example, the attachmentmay be configured for being associated with a bottle, a can, a thermos,a camel back container, a canteen, or other such drinking container. Incertain instances, the container may be a food container, such as acontainer for the storage of a food.

The attachment 10 may be associated with the container 20 in anysuitable manner. In some instances, the attachment 10 is of a size orshape so as to fit around a circumference of the container 20. Thus, theattachment 10 may be a ring, sleeve, wrap, or the like that has beenfabricated in such a manner so as to include a scent therein. Forinstance, in certain instances, the attachment 10 may be a ring that maybe flat or tubular and may include an opening through which a containermay be inserted. Accordingly, in certain instances, the ring attachmentmay be of a size and a shape so as to fit around a portion, e.g., theneck, of a drinking container. The ring, therefore, may have a diametersuch that it can slip onto and/or around the neck of a bottle, but notslide down the length of the bottle.

As described above, the attachment 10 may be made of any suitablematerial, but in certain instances, it is made of a material that iscapable of stretching, and thus the diameter of the ring may beconfigured for moving from a first, smaller diameter to a second, largerdiameter when stretched, and/or for returning from the second stretcheddiameter toward the first, non-stretched diameter in the absence of asuitable stretching force. In a manner such as this the attachment 10such as the ring embodiments may be configured for fitting snugglyaround a portion of the container 20, e.g., the neck, the middle, and/orbottom of the container.

As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the scented attachment 10 can be structuredas a ring and may be fabricated as single piece from a unitary material.The material may have a length 14 the matches its width 12, a length 14less than its width 12, or a length 14 that is greater than its width12. For instance, in certain embodiments, the length 14 may be in arange from about 2 or 3 mm or less to about 20 cm or more, such as about5 or 10 mm to about 12 or 15 cm, including about 2 or 5 cm to about 8 toabout 10 cm. In certain instances of the attachment 10 structured as aring, the ring includes a circumference and the length 14 is measuredfrom one point of a circumference moving in a single direction away fromand back to that same point on the circumference. In certainembodiments, for example, dependent on the material from which the ringis made, the length 14 may increase as the material stretches. The width12 of the material may correspond to that of the length 14 but typicallymay range from about 2 or 3 mm or less to about 15 cm or more, such asfrom about 5 or 10 mm to about 12 or 14 cm, including about 2 or 5 cm toabout 8 to about 10 cm. The thickness of the material may range fromabout 1 mm or less to about 10 mm or more, such as from about 2 or 3 mmto about 8 or 9 mm, including from about 4 or 5 mm to about 6 or 7 mm.

In certain instances of the attachment 10 structured as a ring, as shownin FIG. 1A, the attachment ring may be dimensioned to cover asubstantial portion of the neck 24 of a container 20, e.g., a bottle,while leaving the main body 22 uncovered. For instance, where anattachment ring is provided so as to generate a scent detectable by asubject using the container, it may be useful to have an attachment ringthat does not cover the entire or even a substantial portion of the body22 of the container 20, e.g., as this will be less expensive to produceand better for the environment. Accordingly, in some instances, theattachment ring covers all of the neck of the bottle, a top half of theneck of the bottle, or a bottom half of the neck of the bottle. As canbe seen with respect to FIG. 1B, in some instances, the scentedattachment ring 10 is dimensioned to fit around a top portion 26 of theneck 24 of the container 20. In this example implementation, the scentedattachment ring 10 is configured for covering only the top portion 26 ofthe neck 24 of the container 20 (e.g., bottle) so as to provide a scentto a person, for instance, while drinking from the container 20.

FIG. 2A represents another instance of a scented attachment inaccordance with embodiments of the disclosure. The attachment 10includes a main body 16 and a removable portion 18. The main body 16 ofthe attachment 10 may be configured for encasing a scented strip 40therein. The scented strip 40 includes a scented agent, e.g., anessential oil, that is associated there with. The removable portion 18may be removed from the main body 16 of the attachment 10 and therebyrelease the stored scent encased therein. The removable portion 18 maybe associated with a lid of the container or otherwise removable. Forexample, when the lid is removed, the removable portion 18 is separatedfrom the main body 16 of the attachment 10, and the scent from scentedstrip 40 is thereby released. In this configuration, the removableportion 18 may be a tab that may be pulled off by a user prior todrinking, or may be associated with the lid in such a manner that as thelid is removed the tab is removed.

For instance, as seen with reference to FIG. 2B, the removable portion18 may be associated with a lid 30 in such a manner that as the lid isremoved the removable portion 18 is disassociated from the main body 16of the attachment 10. For example, the lid 30 may be configured suchthat by twisting it relative to the container 20 it may be removed fromthe container 20, and likewise, the scented attachment 10 may beconfigured such that as the lid 30 twists, the removable portion 18 alsotwist relative to the main body 16 along with the lid 30. Thus, as thelid 30 is removed, so is the removable portion 18 and the scented strip40 is exposed, thereby releasing the scent. In some instances, the lid30 may include teeth 32 which are associated with the main body 16 andthe removable portion 18, such that as the lid 30 is removed the teeth32 separate from the main body 16 causing the removable portion 18 to beremoved from the main body 16.

In certain instances, as with reference to FIG. 3A, the scentedattachment 10 may actually be incorporated into the material of thecontainer 20 so as to form a scented area 41. The scented area 41 may beformulated by incorporating an essential oil into the container 20 at anarea near the neck 24 of the container 20. A removable cover (not shown)may be placed over the scented area 41 so as to lock in the scent untiluse. For instance, a user may remove the cover from the scented area 41prior to opening the container 20 and consuming the drink or foodtherein.

FIG. 3B illustrates an instance of a scented attachment 10 wherein theattachment is configured for being associated to the container 20 with asuitable attachment mechanism. For instance, the attachment 10 mayinclude a substrate having a first and a second surface. The firstsurface comprises an attachment mechanism for associating the scentedattachment 10 to the container 20; and a second surface comprises ascent, e.g. an essential oil. The attachment mechanism may be a suitableadhesive, a snap and button configuration, a hook and loop fastenerattachment (e.g., Velcro™), and the like. The adhesive may be used toassociate the scented attachment 10 to the container 20. Alternatively,a Velcro™ strip may be used to attach the attachment 10 to the container20. In such a manner the scented attachment 10 may be removable from thecontainer 20. Further, the scented attachment 10 may be a separateelement from the container 20, made to be separately obtained andattached thereto, or may be pre-attached to the container 20.

FIG. 4 illustrates an instance of a scented attachment for a container20 that is configured as a can. In some instances, the scentedattachment 10 is positioned on a top portion 21 of the can 20 next tothe opening mechanism 23. The scented attachment 10 may be previouslyassociated to the can 20 or may be a separate element that is obtainedand attached to the can, such as immediately prior to use of the can.The scented attachment 10 may be configured such and associated with theopening mechanism 23 of the can 20 such that by opening the can thescent is released by the attachment 10.

FIG. 5 illustrates a scented attachment for a scented capsule, in whichthe attachment 10 includes a main body 15 and a scented material 55therein. The main body 15 may be such that when cracked one or morepores forms and the scent 55 is released there from.

In some aspects in accordance with the present technology, the scentedarticles, apparatuses and systems are directed to a protective sleevesystem. In certain embodiments, for example, the protective sleevesystem is configured for both holding and protecting a held container.Accordingly, in certain embodiments, the protective sleeve systemincludes a protective sleeve (such as described above), which includes atubular body, configured for holding a container, and at least a firstopening, adapted for receiving the container, and in addition to theprotective sleeve, the protective sleeve system may include a suitablecontainer, such as those described above, for instance, a bottle, can,or other food storage element that is adapted to be fit and/or heldwithin the protective sleeve.

For instance, in certain instances, the scented attachment may beincluded in a system that includes a suitable container, such as a glassor plastic bottle. For example, the container may be a water or sportsdrink bottle, or the like. The attachment may be previously associatedwith the bottle or may be a separate element that is meant to beattached to the container by the user of the container prior to use. Theattachment may be a substrate having a scented surface having a coverthereon and may include an adhesive surface additionally having a coverthereon. The cover over the adhesive may be removed and the substrateassociated with the container by the user. The cover covering thescented surface may then be removed by the user prior to consuming thedrink or food item therein. In an alternative embodiment, the attachmentmay be a ring that is configured for being slid over an end of thecontainer and associated thereby with the container, for instance, aneck of the container, e.g., by a user.

Examples of the scented attachment for containers include the following.

In some embodiments of the scented attachment (example A1), a scentedattachment for association with a container comprises a substrate havingfirst and second surfaces, the first surface comprises an attachmentmechanism for associating the scented attachment to the container; andthe second surface comprises a scent.

Example A2 includes the scented attachment of example A1, furthercomprising a third surface, wherein the third surface detachably coversthe second surface thereby preventing the scent from being released whenthe third surface covers the second surface.

Example A3 includes the scented attachment of example A1, wherein thesecond surface comprises a matrix which matrix comprises the scent.

Example A4 includes the scented attachment of example A3, wherein thematrix comprises a gel, which gel comprises the scent.

Example A5 includes the scented attachment of example A4, wherein scentcomprises a fragrant oil.

Example A6 includes the scented attachment of example A5, wherein thefragrant oil comprises a citrus oil, a mint oil, anise oil, cardamomoil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, coriander oil, eucalyptus oil, fennel oil,lemongrass oil, and nutmeg oil.

Example A7 includes the scented attachment of example A6, wherein thecitrus oil comprises an oil selected from the group consisting of alemon oil, a lime oil, a neroli oil, and orange oil.

Example A8 includes the scented attachment of example A6, wherein themint oil comprises an oil selected from the group consisting ofpeppermint oil and spearmint oil.

Example A9 includes the scented attachment of example A1, wherein thesubstrate comprises a ring having an opening configured for receiving aportion of a bottle therein.

Example A10 includes the scented attachment of example A9, wherein thering is removably associated with a lid which lid is configured forbeing sealably associated with a bottle.

Example A11 includes the scented attachment of example A10, wherein whenthe lid is removed from the bottle the lid detaches from the ringthereby releasing the scent.

Example A12 includes the scented attachment of example A11, wherein thering comprises silicon.

Example A13 includes the scented attachment of example A11, wherein thering comprises elastic.

Example A14 includes the scented attachment of example A13, wherein thering comprises one or more identifying colors.

Example A15 includes the scented attachment of example A1, wherein saidattachment element comprises one or more of an adhesive or a loop andhook attachment.

Example A16 includes the scented attachment of example A11, wherein thescent is encapsulated within a burstable seal.

Example A17 includes the scented attachment of example A16, wherein thescent is released when the seal is burst.

Example A18 includes the scented attachment of example A1, wherein thescented attachment is associated with a can.

Example A19 includes the scented attachment of example A18, wherein thescented attachment releases a scent when the can is opened.

In some embodiments of the scented attachment (example A20), a containercomprises a body for holding matter, the body being enclosed on allsides except an opening; a scented attachment provided on the body nearthe opening; and a cap that removably covers the opening.

Scented Bottle Cap Systems and Methods of Fabrication and Use

In some aspects of the scented attachment in accordance with embodimentsof the present technology, a scented bottle cap system includes ascented ring attachable to a bottle, e.g., disposed around the neck ofthe bottle, and a cap removably attachable to the bottle and configuredto enclose the scented ring in a hollow region between the cap and thebottle when the cap is securely attached to the bottle, such that thescented bottle cap system entraps a scent from the scented ring in thehollow region when the cap is securely attached to the bottle andcontrollably releases the scent into the proximate environment of thebottle when the cap is removably detached from the bottle. Inimplementations of the scented bottle cap system, for example, the scentcan include one or more chemical agents in a volatile compound oraggregate that provides a pleasing odorant to the user of the scentedbottle cap system that stimulates a corresponding chemoreceptor of theuser's olfactory system to enhance the user's sense of smell and/ortaste of a drinkable fluid in the bottle. For example, the odorouscompound or aggregate can include an oil, a liquid or gel (e.g., carriedin a matrix), or a resin or powder. In various embodiments, the scentedring can contain the scent by various methods, including incorporatingthe scent into the material of the ring, e.g., during a fabricationprocess to produce the ring. In some embodiments, for example, thescented ring can be fabricated using a plastic material, e.g.,polyethylene, polyurethane or other example materials described herein,that is loaded with the odorous compound or aggregate that produces thescent to a desired concentration, e.g., which can be selected based onmultiple variables including the type of scent (e.g., degree of pungencyof a particular scent).

FIG. 6 shows a diagram featuring an exploded view of an exampleembodiment 600 of the scented bottle cap system. The system 600 includesa scented ring 610 configured to attach around the finish region of theneck of a bottle 630, and a cap 620 to securely attach to the bottle 630and enclose the scented ring 610 in a hollow region or cavity formed inthe interior of the cap 620 and with a circumferential structureprotruding from the neck of the bottle 630.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the bottle 630 includes a collar 631,also referred to as a neck ring or a transfer thread, that protrudesoutward and circumferentially around the neck of the bottle 630. In theexample embodiment of the bottle 630, the collar 631 provides thecircumferential structure to contact the bottom end of the cap 620 toform the hollow region or cavity in the interior of the cap 620. Thebottle 630 includes a set of threads 632 that wrap around finish regionof the neck of the bottle 630, above the collar 631, to provide amechanism to securely attach to and removably detach the cap 620 fromthe bottle 630 by twisting the cap on and off, e.g., eliminating theneed for an opener. As shown in FIG. 8A, the cap 620 includes acorresponding set of threads 622 protruding from the interior region ofthe cap 620 that interact with the set of threads 632 of the bottle 630for attachment and detachment. The bottle 630 includes a terminus at theend of the neck that provides an opening to the interior of the bottlethat contains a fluid (e.g., beverage such as water, soda, milk, juice,alcoholic beverage, etc.), which is filled and dispensed from the bottlethrough the opening. The terminus provides a sealing surface 633 at thetop of the terminus that is structured to contact a correspondingsealing surface 623 of the cap 620, shown in FIG. 9, e.g., whichprevents the fluid from leaking out of the bottle 630 when the cap 620is securely attached thereto. For example, the sealing surface 633 isstructured to be smooth and free from any imperfections that wouldprevent a consistent seal when in contact with the corresponding sealingsurface 623, and likewise for the corresponding sealing surface 633. Insome embodiments of the bottle 630, like the example in FIG. 6, thebottle 630 includes a ledge structure 635 that extends from a positionon the neck of the bottle 630 to make contact with a protrudingstructure from the ring 610 that aligns and/or holds the ring 610 in aparticular position with respect to the bottle 630 when the ring 610attached to the bottle 630.

FIG. 7 shows a diagram of an example embodiment of the scented ring 610.The scented ring 610 is structured to include a shape and size so as tofit around the circumference of a container, such as around the neck ofthe bottle 630. For example, the scented ring 610 can be made into anydesired shape including a rounded ring, e.g., like the circular ringshown in the example of FIG. 7, a square or rectangular ring, atriangular ring, or the like, including regular or irregular dimensions,so as to fit a variety of containers such as bottles like bottle 630jars, and the like.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the scented ring 610 includes one ormore protruding structures 611 disposed on the interior surface of thescented ring 610, referred to as “interior anchors”. For example, insome embodiments, the scented ring 610 can include a plurality ofinterior anchors 611 disposed along a single axis or multiple axes ofthe interior surface; whereas in other embodiments, the interior anchors611 can be one protruding structure that spans a portion or the entirecircumference of the interior surface. In some implementations of thescented bottle cap system 600, the interior anchors 611 contact theledge structure 635 of the bottle 630 to align and/or hold the scentedring 610 in a certain vertical position on the neck of the bottle 630.In such implementations, for example, the alignment of the scented ring610 by the interior anchors 611 and the ledge structure 635 of thebottle 630 allows the scented ring 610 to remain secured, e.g.,‘anchored’, to the bottle 630 when the cap 620 is taken off the bottle630. Moreover, for example, the interior anchors 611 can expand thesurface area of the scented ring 610, which can be used to control theconcentration of the scent that can be exposed from the scented ring 610and thereby control some parameters that affect the diffusion of thescent into the environment of the bottle 630 when the cap 620 isremoved.

Also shown in the example embodiment of the scented ring 610 in FIG. 7,the scented ring 610 includes one or more protruding structures 612disposed on the exterior surface of the scented ring 610, referred to as“exterior anchors”. For example, in some embodiments, the scented ring610 can include a plurality of exterior anchors 612 disposed along asingle axis or multiple axes of the exterior surface. In the example ofFIG. 7, the scented ring 610 includes two exterior anchors 612 eachconfigured as a single protruding structure that spans the entirecircumference of the exterior surface at two respective locations, e.g.,an upper and a lower position on the exterior surface. In someimplementations of the scented bottle cap system 600, the exterioranchors 612 are configured to make contact with a rim structure 625 ofthe cap 620, shown in FIG. 8A. The exterior anchors 612 can affect thealignment and/or hold the scented ring 610 in a certain position withrespect to the cap 620 in certain circumstances, e.g., duringfabrication of a beverage to be contained in the bottle cap system 600.In implementations, for example, the exterior anchors 612 can expand thesurface area of the scented ring 610, which, like the interior anchors611, can be used to control the concentration of the scent that can beexposed from the scented ring 610 and thereby control some parametersthat affect the diffusion of the scent into the environment of thebottle 630 when the cap 620 is removed.

For example, the scent can be incorporated into the body of the scentedring 610, e.g., through the manufacturing process such as injectionmolding, in which the chemical agents that form the scent are embeddedin the material that forms the structure of the scented ring 610. Inother embodiments, for example, the scent can be produced on the scentedring 610 by providing an exterior coating to the ring body, e.g., viaspray coating, printing or other techniques to coat the scented ring610. In implementations, the scent emanates from the scented ring 610 bydiffusing into the air that surrounds the scented ring 610. Generally,over time the scent would eventually diffuse to a concentration where itwould be ineffective to stimulate one's olfactory senses when placednear the user, such as when the user brings the bottle neck towardhis/her mouth and nose. Thus, the scented bottle cap system 600 providesa structure that controls the storage and release of the scent from thescented ring 610, thereby (i) conserving the scent for longer durationsand repeated uses, and (ii) regulating the timing and concentration ofemanation of the scent to the ideal moments that effectuate the user'senjoyment of the beverage in the bottle 630.

FIG. 8A shows a diagram of an example embodiment of the cap 620. The cap620 is structured to include a shape and size so as fasten to acontainer, such as around the neck of the bottle 630 at the finishregion, and seal the substance within the bottle 630 from leaking orotherwise escaping via the opening of the bottle 630. For example, theexternal design of the cap 620 can be made into any desired shapeincluding a cylindrical shape like that shown in the example of FIG. 8A,a conical shape, rectangular shape, a triangular shape, or the like,including regular or irregular dimensions. In some implementations, thecap 620 can include two or more parts, e.g., which can provideadvantageous features such as reduced weight, lower costs tomanufacturing, and/or desired aesthetics.

FIG. 8B shows a diagram of an example embodiment of a two-piece cap620B, which includes an over-cap 690A and a cap base 690B, whichattaches to each other via teeth 691 on the exterior of cap base 690Bthat align and interface with protruding pillars 693 on the interior ofover-cap 690A. The cap base 690B includes the same interior componentsand structure as the example embodiment of the cap 620 shown in FIG. 8A.In some embodiments, the cap 620 can include the cap 620B, in which theover-cap 690A and the cap base 690B are one piece. For example, suchembodiments of the cap 620B can include forming a single cap structurefrom the over-cap 690A and the cap base 690B in a manufacturing process,e.g., molding or adhering the two pieces into a single piece.

Referring back to FIG. 8A the cap 620 includes a top (not shown) and acurved wall 627W, which extends from the top of the cap 620 andterminates at a bottom end that forms the opening into an interiorregion of the cap 620. The interior region of the cap 620 includes ahollowed portion having interior structures to interface with the bottle630 and the scented ring 610. The interior region of the cap 620includes the rim structure 625 located at a position from the bottom endof the curved wall 627W, such that the rim structure 625 is configuredto interface with the exterior anchors 612 of the scented ring 610. Forexample, the rim structure 625 is shaped to lightly support the exterioranchors 612 under certain circumstances, such as prior to assembly ofthe cap 620 and ring 610 with the bottle 630, in which the cap 620 cansupport suspension of the scented ring 610 when the cap 620 is orientedwith its opening downward. In such example embodiments, for example,without the rim structure 625 and/or the exterior anchors 612, thescented ring 610 can fall out of cap 620 when its opening is orienteddownward.

The bottom end of the curved wall 627W is structured such that, when thecap 620 is securely attached to the bottle 630, a portion of the bottomend contacts the collar 631 and provides a lower seal between the cap620 and the collar 631 of the bottle 630. The cap 620 is structured tohave a concentric space 629 in the interior region, which can be atleast between the rim structure 625 and the location of the lower seal.In the example shown in FIG. 8A, the cap 620 includes a lip 628 thatthat spans the circumference of the interior region of the cap 620 tomake contact with the collar 631 of the bottle to form the lower seal.When the cap 620 and scented ring 610 are assembled on the bottle 630,the concentric space 629 provides a hollow volume 940, illustrated inFIG. 9, that allows scent from the scented ring 610 to diffuse within inand be contained until the cap 620 is removed.

In some embodiments, such as the examples shown in FIGS. 8A and 9, thecap 620 includes a cylindrical protuberance 624 that projects from thetop of the cap 620 and is configured to align with the side wall of theopening of the bottle 630. For example, the cylindrical protuberance 624provides a sagittal sealing surface along the interior side wall of theopening of the bottle, as illustrated in FIG. 10A.

FIG. 9 shows a diagram depicting a cross-sectional view of the scentedring 610 coupled with the cap 620. The scented ring 610 is detachablycoupled to the cap 620, such that when the cap 620 is oriented with thetop upwards and its opening downwards, the scented ring 610 stillresides in the interior region of the cap 620. The rim structure 625provides sufficient support the exterior anchors 612 that allows thescented ring 610 to be suspended inside the cap 620 in this orientation.The interior side of the wall 627W includes a receiving surface 627Sthat allows the top side of the scented ring 610 to make contact. Forexample, the structure of the cap 620 and ring 610 allow for the ring610 to be pre-loaded into the cap 620 prior to assembly with the bottle630, e.g., such as during the bottling process of producing andpackaging a beverage. In some implementations of a pre-loading process,the cap 620 can be inverted such that the opening is upwards and the topis downwards. The scented ring 610 can be secured within the interior ofthe cap 620, e.g., by automated machine or manually, such that the ring610 is pushed into the interior until it makes contact with thereceiving surface 627S, where the exterior anchors 612 will haveover-passed the rim structure 625 and align within a conforming recessof the interior side of the wall 627W. The receiving surface 627S canassist in the alignment of the exterior anchors 612 passed the rimstructure 625 and in the conforming recess of the cap 620, whileallowing for various levels of force to place the ring 610 in thisposition.

FIG. 10A shows a diagram depicting a cross-sectional view of the scentedbottle cap system 600 when the scented ring 610, the cap 620 and thebottle 630 are assembled. In this configuration, the scented ring 610 issecurely attached around the neck of the bottle 630 based on thepositioning of the interior anchors 611 underneath ledge structure 635.For example, when the scent ring 610 is pre-loaded in the cap 620, thecap 620 can be initially attached to the bottle 630 (e.g., during thebottling process of the beverage production) such that the ring 610detaches from the cap 620 and securely attaches to the bottle 630. Insome implementations, the cap 620 is twisted on the bottle 630 via theset of threads 623 of the bottle 630 and the corresponding set ofthreads 622 of the cap 620. As the cap 620 is being twisted on thebottle 630, the scented ring 610 is driven downwards along the finishregion such that the interior anchors 611 is pushed past the ledgestructure 635. In the example shown in FIG. 10A, the ledge structure 635can include a sloped portion on the upper side of the ledge structure635, and a flattened portion on the lower side of the ledge structure635 that is perpendicular with the neck of the bottle 635, whichinhibits the ring 610 at the interior anchors 611 from detaching fromthe neck of the bottle 635. When the cap 620 is twisted off, the scentedring 610 is able to detach from its coupling with the cap 620, yetremain on the bottle 630.

FIG. 10B shows a magnified view of the interface between the sealingsurface 623 of the cap 620 and the sealing surface 633 of the bottle 630from FIG. 10A. When the cap 620 is securely attached to the bottle 630,e.g., fully twisted on, the sealing surface 633 of the bottle 630contacts the corresponding sealing surface 623 of the cap 620.Similarly, the optional cylindrical protuberance 624 contacts the sidewall of the opening of the bottle 630.

FIG. 10C shows a magnified view of the interface between the exterioranchors 612 of the scented ring 610 and the rim structure 625 of the cap620, and the interface between the interior anchors 611 of the scentedring 610 and the ledge structure 635 of the bottle 630, as shown in FIG.10A. For example, the ledge structure 635 can be configured to an anglethat allows the scented ring 610 to securely attach, e.g., duringassembly of the scented ring 610 with the cap 620 prior to assembly withthe bottle 630, in which the interior anchors 611 of the scented ring610 effectively slide down on the top side of the ledge structure 635until they are beneath the ledge structure 635. In some embodiments, forexample, the top angle of the ledge structure 635 is in a range of 120°to 150°, such as at substantially 135°. In some embodiments, forexample, the top angle of the ledge structure 635 is in a range of 105°or more and 165° or less.

FIG. 10D shows a magnified view of the interface between the lip 628 ofthe cap 620 and the collar 631 of the bottle 630 from FIG. 10A. When thecap 620 is securely attached to the bottle 630, the lip 628 of the cap620 is in contact with the collar 631 of the bottle 630, forming thelower seal that creates the hollow volume 940. The hollow volume 940provides a chamber to collect the scent that diffuses into the volume940 from the scented ring 610 when the cap 620 is closed. In the closedposition, the scent is trapped and contained in the scented bottle capsystem 600. When the cap 620 is removed from the bottle 630, e.g.,twisted off, the user can experience an initial burst of scent,particularly when he/she removes the cap 620 and brings it towardshis/her mouth to drink the beverage inside the bottle 630. The scentcontinues to emanate from the scent ring 610 attached to the bottle 630and enthuse the senses of the user during subsequent imbibing of thebeverage.

A compartment providing a hollow volume 940 formed in a space betweenthe cap 620 and the bottle 630 can be configured based on the size andshapes of the structural components of the cap 620 and bottle 630. Thecompartment including the hollow volume 940 is configured to collect andtrap the scent that emanates from the scented ring 610 when the cap 620is closed (e.g., tightened) on the bottle 630. For example, the system600 is configured to trap the scent when the cap 620 is closed on thebottle 630, e.g., including in-between drinks of the beverage, to createa scent burst effect when the user opens the cap and takes the nextdrink. As illustrated in the example embodiment shown in FIG. 10A, thecompartment including the hollow volume 940 can include one or moreregions, or subcompartments, in the space between the cap 620 and thebottle 630, for example, including (i) a lower region 940A between theexterior wall of the scented ring 610, the collar 631 and the interiorface of the wall 627W of the cap 620 between the rim structure 625 ofthe cap 620 and collar 631 of the bottle 630; (ii) a middle region 940Bbetween the interior wall of the scented ring 610 and the neck of thebottle 630 where the ring 610 is positioned between the ledge structure635 and the collar 631; and (iii) an upper region 940C between theinterior wall of the scented ring 610, the upper portion of the ledgestructure 635 and the intersection of threads 622 and 632 of the cap 620and bottle 630, respectively. The hollow volume 940, including each ofthe example subcompartment regions 940A, 940B and 940C, can bestructured to have a particular volume or range of volumes for capturinga desired concentration of volatile scent from the scented ring 610. Forinstance, in certain embodiments such as that shown in FIG. 10A, thelower region of the hollow volume 940 may be in a range from about 3,000mm³ or less to about 1,000 mm³ or more. In some embodiments, forexample, the hollow volume formed by the system 600 may be in a rangefrom about 15,000 mm³ or less to about 100 mm³ or more, which can beconfigured based on the size and shape of the structures along theinterior face of the wall 627W interfacing the features of the neck ofthe bottle 630.

FIG. 11A shows a diagram of an example embodiment of the scented ring1110. The scented ring 1110 includes the structure of the scented ring610, and also includes dimples 1111 (e.g., pores) that recede inwardwith respect to the surface of the ring 1110 and/or bumps 1112 (e.g.,protrusions) that protrude outward with respect to the surface of thering 1110. The dimples 1111 and/or bumps 1112 can be organized along thesurface of the ring 1110 in a variety of arrangements, e.g., includingan array of periodic or aperiodic positioning, or randomly. For example,the dimples and/or bumps 1112 provide additional surface area to thescented ring 1110 that can increase the concentration of the scentexposed to the outer environment (e.g., air), and thereby enhance thedelivery of the scent to the user. In some embodiments, for example, thedimples 1111 and/or bumps 1112 can be used to create letters, shapes, orsymbols as a form of advertising or product differentiation.

In some implementations, the dimples 1111 and/or bumps 1112 are formedof a size and/or shape and arranged on the scented ring 1110 to affectthe direction of the scent emanating from the scented ring 1110 to theproximate environment. For example, the motion of the bottle 630 by theuser to drink the beverage can increase the rate of air flow at thescented ring 1110 and affect to the volatility of the scent at thedimples 1111 and the bumps 1112. Also, for example, the dimples 1111 canbe structured as holes that pass through the ring 1110 or terminate at ahollowed chamber in the body of the ring 1110 to affect the effusiveproperties of the scent when the cap 620 is removed from the bottle 630.In some implementations, the dimples 1111 can be arranged on the regionof the scented ring 1110 that is in contact with the cap 620 whensecurely attached to the bottle 630, e.g., such as arranged along theexterior anchors 612 that contact the rim structure 625. In suchimplementations, the scent can be trapped in the hollowed chambers andtheir release controlled accounting for the effusive properties of thescent through the dimples 1111 and into the outer environment, e.g.,near the user's nose and mouth. In some implementations, the bumps 1112can also be structured to affect the effusive properties of the scent toenhance the sensation of the user's olfactory system.

FIG. 11B shows a diagram of an example embodiment of the scented ring1120 that includes hollowed chambers 1115 to trap the scent and havingan outer passageway for their release that accounts for the effusiveproperties of the scent from the chambers 1115 to the outer environment,e.g., near the user's nose and mouth. For example, the chambers 1115 canbe structured to affect the effusive properties of the scent to enhancethe sensation of the user's olfactory system, and thereby drinkingexperience. In some embodiments, the scented ring 1120 can include anarrangement of the chambers 1115 such that the outer passageways form anopening on the interior wall of the scented ring 1120, the exterior wallof the scented ring 1120, or both the interior and exterior walls of thescented ring 1120. For example, the chambers 1115 can be configured suchthat the outer passageways form an opening on a top surface and/or abottom surface of the scented ring 1120. In implementations, forexample, the air may rapidly flow into the chambers 1115 when the userbrings the bottle 630 with the attached scented ring 1120 toward his/herface for drinking the beverage fluid, and thereby experience an enhancedeffect of the scent emanating from the scented ring 1115 due to thestructure of the chambers 1115 and outer passageways to affect effusionof the scent. The scented ring 1120 can include similar structures ofthe scented ring 610 and/or 1110, e.g., including the interior anchors611, the exterior anchors 612, and/or the dimples 1111 and/or bumps1112.

FIG. 12A shows a diagram of an example embodiment of the scented ring1200. The scented ring 1200 includes the structure of the scented ring610 or the scented ring 1110, except without the exterior anchors 612.

FIG. 12B shows a diagram of an example embodiment of the scented ring1210. The scented ring 1210 includes the structure of the scented ring610 or the scented ring 1110, and also includes a cut-away region 1215.This embodiment can be referred to as a scented C-ring. For example, thescented C-ring 1210 still provides the structure to be detachablycoupled to the cap 620, e.g., for pre-loading, and securely attached tothe bottle 630 after initial attachment of the ring-pre-loaded cap onthe bottle, and yet also allows the scented C-ring 1215 to beselectively detached by the user based on the cut-away region 1215.Various embodiments of the scented ring can include a pliable material.In the example embodiments of the scented C-ring 1210, the material canallow the C-ring structure to bend slightly to have enough clearance forthe scented C-ring 1210 to clear the diameter of the ledge structure 635of the bottle 630 based on the cut-away region 1215. For example, thescented C-ring 1210 includes a pliable material to allow the scentedC-ring 1210 to bend to at least a degree to have enough clearance forthe cut-away region 1215 to expand and clear the diameter of the ledgestructure 635 of the bottle 630 such that the scented C-ring 1210 candetach from the bottle 630. In implementations, for example, the scentedC-ring 1210 can allow a user to swap scented rings as he/she chooses,and similarly allow the manufacturer to sell the scented ringsseparately from the bottle.

FIG. 12C shows a diagram of an example embodiment of the scented C-ring1220 that includes the interior anchors 611 and the cut-away region1215. In implementations, for example, the scented C-ring 1220 can allowa user to swap scented rings as he/she chooses, and similarly allow themanufacturer to sell the scented rings separately from the bottle.

In some aspects of the scented attachment for containers in accordancewith embodiments of the present technology, methods are disclosed formanufacturing a scented bottle cap system to fill the bottle with afluid, e.g., beverage, to be contained within the bottle and attachingthe cap and scented ring to the bottle in a single step.

FIG. 13 shows a flow diagram an example embodiment of a method 1300 tomanufacture a scented bottle cap system, such as the various embodimentsof the system 600. The method 1300 includes a process 1310 to couple ascented ring, e.g., scented ring 610, 1110, 1200 or 1210, to an interiorregion of the cap, e.g., cap 620, to produce a ring-cap assembly. Insome implementations of the process 1310, for example, the scented ringis detachably coupled to the cap such that the ring-cap assemblysecurely contains the scented ring in the interior region of the cap,e.g., maintaining the scented ring in the interior region even when thecap is oriented with the opening of the cap facing down. For example,the scented ring is configured to detachably couple to the cap prior toinitial attachment of the ring-cap assembly with the bottle, such thatthe scented ring initially couples to the cap based on contact betweenthe an exterior protruding structure of the scented ring and an interiorprotrusion (e.g., rim) structure of the cap, so that when the cap isinitially fastened to the bottle, the scented ring transfers from beingcoupled to the cap to being coupled to the bottle, e.g., based oncontact between the interior protruding structure of the scented ringand a protuberance structure such as a ledge feature extending from theneck of the bottle.

The method 1300 includes a process 1320 to orient the ring-cap assemblyin a non-inverted position, i.e., where the opening of the cap is facingdownward, in which the scented ring is securely contained in theinterior region of the cap. The method 1300 includes a process 1330 tofill the bottle with a fluid, e.g., a beverage such as water, milk,juice, sports drink, alcoholic beverage, etc. The method 1300 includes aprocess 1340 to securely attach the ring-cap assembly to the bottle toform a ring-cap-bottle assembly, in which the scented ring attaches tothe bottle and is enclosed in a compartment formed between the interiorof the cap and the exterior of the neck of the bottle, and in which thecap is detachable from the bottle and decouples from the scented ring.In implementations of the process 1340, the ring-cap assembly isattached to the bottle in a single step. For example, the method 1300allows the ‘bottling process’ of a beverage to be performed usingconventional machine- or automated-equipment in existing bottlefactories to perform the processes 1320, 1330 and 1340 withoutsignificant modifications to the existing bottling process set-up andinfrastructure, and thereby enable mass production of scent-enhancedbeverages using a scented bottle cap system in accordance with thedisclosed technology in cost-conserving manner. The ring-cap-bottleassembly forms a system that (i) contains the beverage filled in thebottle, (ii) contains and conserves the scent in the compartment,preventing its escape until a user chooses to open the cap from thebottle, and (iii) affects the emanation of the scent to stimulate theuser's olfactory system and enhance the user's enjoyment of thebeverage.

In some embodiments, for example, the method 1300 includes a process toattach a tamper seal (e.g., sticker) to the produced ring-cap-bottleassembly that contains the fluid, e.g., providing an indicator to a userthat the fluid contained in the ring-cap-bottle assembly isunadulterated and untampered. In some implementations, for example, thetamper seal is applied at a portion or completely around the interfaceof the cap with the bottle. In some embodiments, for example, the method1300 includes a process to apply one or more labels to the bottle.

EXAMPLES

Examples of the scented attachment for containers include the following.

In some example embodiments, a scent delivery system for a beveragecontainer (example B1) includes a bottle to contain a fluid beverage,the bottle structured to include a body region and a neck region, thebottle including a collar that extends outward and circumferentiallyaround the neck region, and a ledge structure that extends outward andcircumferentially around the neck region and is positioned above thecollar; a scent ring including a body loaded with a volatile chemicalagent to emanate from the body of the scent ring to generate a scent,the scent ring structured to include at least one interior protrudingstructure that projects from an interior wall of the body of the scentring, in which the scent ring is configured to fasten around the neckregion of the bottle based on contact between the at least one interiorprotruding structure of the scent ring and the ledge structure of thebottle, in which the at least one interior protruding structure ispositioned below the ledge structure; and a cap reversibly attachable tothe bottle, the cap including an interior rim structure that projectsfrom and circumferentially around an interior cap wall of the cap, inwhich the cap is structured to enclose the scent ring in a compartmentformed between the collar of the bottle and the interior rim structureof the cap when the cap is securely fastened to the bottle, in which thesystem is configured to trap the scent from the scent ring in thecompartment when the cap is securely attached to the bottle and torelease the scent into an outer environment of the bottle when the capis detached from the bottle.

Example B2 includes the system of example B1, in which the scent ringincludes at least one exterior protruding structure that projects froman exterior wall of the body of the scent ring.

Example B3 includes the system of example B2, in which the scent ring isconfigured to detachably couple to the cap prior to initial attachmentof the cap and the scent ring to the bottle, in which the scent ringinitially couples to the cap based on contact between the at least oneexterior protruding structure of the scent ring and the interior rimstructure of the cap, and when the cap is initially fastened to thebottle the scent ring transfers from being coupled to the cap to beingcoupled to the bottle based on contact between the at least one interiorprotruding structure of the scent ring and the ledge structure of thebottle.

Example B4 includes the system of example B1, in which the scent ring isoperable to generate the scent without physical contact by the cap or bythe bottle.

Example B5 includes the system of example B1, in which the system isoperable to repeatedly trap the scent generated by the scent ring in thecompartment and release the scent into the outer environment over aplurality of instances where a user attaches and detaches the cap to thebottle.

Example B6 includes the system of example B1, in which the at least oneinterior protruding structure includes a single interior protrudingstructure that spans circumferentially along at least a portion of theinterior wall of the scent ring.

Example B7 includes the system of example B1, in which the at least oneinterior protruding structure includes a plurality of interiorprotruding structures that intermittently or periodically spancircumferentially along the interior wall of the scent ring.

Example B8 includes the system of example B7, in which the plurality ofinterior protruding include two or more of the interior protrudingstructures that are equally spaced apart from each other.

Example B9 includes the system of example B1, in which the collar isstructured to have a top side that slants downward from the surface ofthe neck region, and the collar is structured to have the bottom sidethat is substantially perpendicular to the neck region.

Example B10 includes the system of example B1, in which the cap isstructured to include threads on the interior cap wall that interfacewith corresponding threads on the neck of the bottle to allow the cap totwist on and off the bottle.

Example B11 includes the system of example B1, in which the scent ringincludes one or more pores that recede inward with respect to thesurface of the body of the scent ring.

Example B12 includes the system of example B11, in which the one or moredimples include a plurality of dimples arranged along the surface of thebody of the scent ring in an array of periodic or aperiodic positions,or randomly positioned.

Example B13 includes the system of example B1, in which the scent ringincludes one or more protrusions that protrude outward with respect tothe surface of the body of the scent ring.

Example B14 includes the system of example B13, in which the one or moreprotrusions include a plurality of protrusions arranged along thesurface of the body of the scent ring in an array of periodic oraperiodic positions, or randomly positioned.

Example B15 includes the system of example B1, in which the scent ringincludes a cut-away region across the body to allow the scent ring to bedetachably coupled to the bottle, such that the scent ring isselectively detachable from the bottle.

Example B16 includes the system of example B15, in which the scent ringincludes a pliable material to allow the scent ring to bend to at leasta degree to have enough clearance for the cut-away region to expand andclear the diameter of the ledge structure of the bottle such that thescent ring detaches from the bottle.

Example B17 includes the system of example B1, in which the scent ringincludes one or more hollowed chambers to trap the scent and having anouter passageway for release of the scent via effusion to the outerenvironment of the bottle when the cap is detached from the bottle.

Example B18 includes the system of example B1, in which the compartmentincludes a plurality of subcompartments such that different portions ofthe scent ring are exposed to a hollow volume of differentsubcompartments.

Example B19 includes the system of example B18, in which the pluralityof subcompartments include (i) a lower subcompartment located between anexterior wall of the scent ring, the collar of the bottle, and a portionof the interior cap wall of the cap between the interior rim structureand the collar; (ii) a middle subcompartment located between theinterior wall of the scent ring and the neck region of the bottle wherethe scent ring is positioned between the ledge structure and the collar;and (iii) an upper subcompartment located between the interior wall ofthe scent ring, a portion of the neck region of the bottle from a topside of the ledge structure to an intersection of threads on theinterior cap wall that interface with corresponding threads on the neckregion of the bottle, and a portion of the interior cap wall of the capbetween the intersection of threads and the scent ring.

Example B20 includes the system of example B1, in which the compartmentincludes a hollow volume configured to trap the scent that emanates fromthe scent ring when the cap is securely attached to the bottle toconcentrate the scent in the compartment, such that a concentrated scentis released into the outer environment of the bottle after the cap isdetached from the bottle.

Example B21 includes the system of example B20, in which the hollowvolume is in a range of 1 mm³ to 3 mm³.

Example B22 includes the system of example B1, in which the system isconfigured to release the scent to the outer environment to augment aperceived taste of the fluid beverage when drank by a user from thebottle.

Example B23 includes the system of example B21, in which the scentincludes an odorous chemical agent operable to stimulate a chemoreceptorof the user's olfactory system to enhance the user's sense of smell ortaste of fluid beverage.

In some example embodiments, a scent delivery system for a beveragecontainer (example B24) includes a bottle to contain a fluid beverage,the bottle structured to include a body region and a neck region, thebottle including a collar that extends outward and circumferentiallyaround the neck region, and a ledge structure that extends outward andcircumferentially around the neck region and is positioned above thecollar; and a bottle cap apparatus reversibly attachable to a bottle atthe neck region to reversibly seal an opening of the bottle. The bottlecap apparatus includes scent ring including a body loaded with avolatile chemical agent to emanate from the body of the scent ring togenerate a scent, the scent ring structured to include at least oneinterior protruding structure that projects from an interior wall of thebody of the scent ring, in which the scent ring is configured to fastenaround the neck region of the bottle based on contact between the atleast one interior protruding structure of the scent ring and the ledgestructure of the bottle, in which the at least one interior protrudingstructure is positioned below the ledge structure, and the scent ringstructured to include at least one exterior protrusion structure thatprojects from an exterior wall of the body of the scent ring; and a capincluding an interior rim structure that projects from andcircumferentially around an interior cap wall of the cap, in which thecap is structured to enclose the scent ring in a compartment formedbetween the collar of the bottle and the interior rim structure of thecap when the cap is securely fastened to the bottle. The system isconfigured to trap the scent from the scent ring in the compartment whenthe cap is securely attached to the bottle and to release the scent intoan outer environment of the bottle when the cap is detached from thebottle. In the system, the scent ring is configured to detachably coupleto the cap prior to initial attachment of the bottle cap apparatus withthe bottle, in which the scent ring initially couples to the cap basedon contact between the at least one exterior protruding structure of thescent ring and the interior rim structure of the cap, and when the capis initially fastened to the bottle the scent ring transfers from beingcoupled to the cap to being coupled to the bottle based on contactbetween the at least one interior protruding structure of the scent ringand the ledge structure of the bottle.

Example B25 includes the system of example B24, in which the compartmentincludes a hollow volume configured to trap the scent that emanates fromthe scent ring when the cap is securely attached to the bottle toconcentrate the scent in the compartment, such that a concentrated scentis released into the outer environment of the bottle after the cap isdetached from the bottle.

Example B26 includes the system of example B24, in which the scent ringis operable to generate the scent without physical contact by the cap orby the bottle.

Example B27 includes the system of example B24, in which the system isoperable to repeatedly trap the scent generated by the scent ring in thecompartment and release the scent into the outer environment over aplurality of instances where a user attaches and detaches the cap to thebottle.

Example B28 includes the system of example B24, in which the at leastone interior protruding structure includes a single interior protrudingstructure that spans circumferentially along at least a portion of theinterior wall of the scent ring.

Example B29 includes the system of example B24, in which the at leastone interior protruding structure includes a plurality of interiorprotruding structures that intermittently or periodically spancircumferentially along the interior wall of the scent ring.

Example B30 includes the system of example B29, in which the pluralityof interior protruding include two or more of the interior protrudingstructures that are equally spaced apart from each other.

Example B31 includes the system of example B24, in which the collar isstructured to have a top side that slants downward from the surface ofthe neck region, and the collar is structured to have the bottom sidethat is substantially perpendicular to the neck region.

Example B32 includes the system of example B24, in which the cap isstructured to include threads on the interior cap wall that interfacewith corresponding threads on the neck of the bottle to allow the cap totwist on and off the bottle.

Example B33 includes the system of example B24, in which the scent ringincludes one or more pores that recede inward with respect to thesurface of the body of the scent ring.

Example B34 includes the system of example B33, in which the one or moredimples include a plurality of dimples arranged along the surface of thebody of the scent ring in an array of periodic or aperiodic positions,or randomly positioned.

Example B35 includes the system of example B24, in which the scent ringincludes one or more protrusions that protrude outward with respect tothe surface of the body of the scent ring.

Example B36 includes the system of example B35, in which the one or moreprotrusions include a plurality of protrusions arranged along thesurface of the body of the scent ring in an array of periodic oraperiodic positions, or randomly positioned.

Example B37 includes the system of example B24, in which the scent ringincludes a cut-away region across the body to allow the scent ring to bedetachably coupled to the bottle, such that the scent ring isselectively detachable from the bottle.

Example B38 includes the system of example B37, in which the scent ringincludes a pliable material to allow the scent ring to bend to at leasta degree to have enough clearance for the cut-away region to expand andclear the diameter of the ledge structure of the bottle such that thescent ring detaches from the bottle.

Example B39 includes the system of example B24, in which the scent ringincludes one or more hollowed chambers to trap the scent and having anouter passageway for release of the scent via effusion to the outerenvironment of the bottle when the cap is detached from the bottle.

Example B40 includes the system of example B24, in which the compartmentincludes a plurality of subcompartments such that different portions ofthe scent ring are exposed to a hollow volume of differentsubcompartments.

Example B41 includes the system of example B40, in which the pluralityof subcompartments include (i) a lower subcompartment located between anexterior wall of the scent ring, the collar of the bottle, and a portionof the interior cap wall of the cap between the interior rim structureand the collar; (ii) a middle subcompartment located between theinterior wall of the scent ring and the neck region of the bottle wherethe scent ring is positioned between the ledge structure and the collar;and (iii) an upper subcompartment located between the interior wall ofthe scent ring, a portion of the neck region of the bottle from a topside of the ledge structure to an intersection of threads on theinterior cap wall that interface with corresponding threads on the neckregion of the bottle, and a portion of the interior cap wall of the capbetween the intersection of threads and the scent ring.

Example B42 includes the system of example B24, in which the compartmentincludes a hollow volume configured to trap the scent that emanates fromthe scent ring when the cap is securely attached to the bottle toconcentrate the scent in the compartment, such that a concentrated scentis released into the outer environment of the bottle after the cap isdetached from the bottle.

Example B43 includes the system of example B42, in which the hollowvolume is in a range of 1 mm³ to 3 mm³.

Example B44 includes the system of example B24, in which the system isconfigured to release the scent to the outer environment to augment aperceived taste of the fluid beverage when drank by a user from thebottle.

Example B45 includes the system of example B44, in which the scentincludes an odorous chemical agent operable to stimulate a chemoreceptorof the user's olfactory system to enhance the user's sense of smell ortaste of fluid beverage.

In some example embodiments, a method for manufacturing a scented bottlecap system (example B46) includes coupling a scent ring to an interiorregion of a cap to produce a ring-cap assembly; orienting the ring-capassembly in a position where an opening of the cap to the interiorregion is facing downward, in which the scent ring is securely containedin the interior region of the cap; filling the bottle with a fluid; andsecurely attaching the ring-cap assembly to the bottle, in which thescent ring attaches to the bottle and is enclosed in a compartmentformed between the interior region of the cap and an exterior region ofa neck portion of the bottle, in which the ring-cap assembly is attachedto the bottle in a single step, in which the cap is detachable from thebottle and decouples from the ring upon initial detachment from thebottle.

Example B47 includes the method of example B46, in which the attachingthe scent ring to the cap includes inserting the scent ring to theinterior region of the cap such that an exterior protruding structure ofthe scent ring is inserted past an interior protrusion structure of thecap.

Example B48 includes the method of example B46, in which when thering-cap assembly is initially attached to the bottle, the scent ringtransfers from being coupled to the cap to being attached to the bottle,in which attachment between the scent ring and the bottle is based oncontact between an interior protruding structure of the scent ring and aprotuberance structure extending from the exterior region of the neckportion of the bottle.

In some example embodiments, a scented bottle cap apparatus (example C1)includes a scent ring to attach around a neck of a bottle having acollar, in which the scent ring includes a body loaded with a volatilechemical agent to emanate from the body of the scent ring to generate ascent; and a cap to removably attach to the bottle and structured toenclose the scent ring in a compartment formed between the collar of thebottle and an interior portion of the cap when the cap is securelyattached to the bottle, in which the system is configured to trap ascent from the scent ring in the compartment when the cap is securelyattached to the bottle and release the scent into an outer environmentof the bottle when the cap is detached from the bottle.

Methods for Manufacturing Scented Material Compositions and Articles

Fragrance or aroma compounds have been used since antiquity to freshenair and cover odors. One early example includes incense, an aromaticmaterial that forms a fragrant smoke when burned, which is believed tohave been used by the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and other ancientpeoples thousands of years ago. Perfumes were developed over time,having various concentrations of aromatic compounds in a solvent, suchas an alcohol. For example, an eau de cologne typically has 3-8%aromatic compound(s) in solvent, whereas an eau de toilette has 5-15%aromatic compound(s) in solvent. By the middle of the twentieth century,fragrance compounds were manufactured into aerosol sprays for airfreshener and deodorant products; and decades later, scented materialswere developed in products like scented candles.

In humans, mammals and other living things, the olfactory system detectsairborne substances, e.g., volatile chemicals, and provides the livingorganism with a sense of smell. Olfaction, like taste, is a form ofchemoreception. Accordingly, there is a commonality between theperception of smell and the perception of taste. In certain instances,the sense of smell may supplement and/or otherwise enhance the sense oftaste, and, for example, maladies affecting the sense of smell adverselyaffect the sense of taste.

Taste plays an important role in one's motivation for consuming food ordrink. As such, food science has spent decades formulating new processedfoods and drinks having agents that enhance the perception of taste offood and drink articles. However, more and more studies are showingadverse health effects for some processed foods, which can be due toadditives that were used to enhance perception of taste.

Scent-based technologies, such as scented materials and articles, can beused to augment the characteristics of the material or article to affecta person's sense of smell, and thereby sense of taste. For example, ascented material or article may include a chemical agent, such as afragrance or aroma compound, that stimulates a chemoreceptor of theolfactory system of the subject or otherwise stimulates sense of smelland/or taste of a subject.

One example of scent-based technologies includes scented articles thatattach or are included as part of a drinking bottle system, like thosedescribed in this patent document, in which the scented article providesa pleasing odorant to a user that stimulates a correspondingchemoreceptor of the user's olfactory system to enhance the user's senseof smell and/or taste of a drinkable fluid in the bottle. For example,the scented article can be a lime-scented ring that attaches to thebottle around the bottle opening so that, as the user drinks thebeverage within the bottle, such as water, the user experiences alime-taste to the water from the lime scent that emanates from thescented article while drinking.

For such scented articles attachable to a drinking bottle, the finalscented product should have a small size relative to the bottle and/orcap, and therefore limited surface area, while having a strong structureto prevent unintentional detachments from the bottle (e.g., which couldcause choking) or unintended uses (e.g., user eating the scentedarticle)—and yet must still provide a strong-enough scent for the userto smell while consuming the beverage. For the scented article toachieve such functionality with a small size, the fragrance compositionshould be loaded and preserved at a sufficient concentration in the basematerial to produce a robust, stable scented product suitable forapplications like scented beverage container systems.

Yet, producing scented articles that have small sizes and surface areasfor emanating the scent is not achievable with conventional approachesfor manufacturing scented articles. This may be because lowconcentration scented articles can be made suitable for variousapplications where the size and surface area of the article is not aslimiting as for the example scented attachments disclosed in this patentdocument, including but not limited to the scented ring 610 and/or otherexamples of the scented rings described herein. Existing manufacturingmethods to produce scented articles use relatively low concentrations ofthe fragrance compound in the bulk material of the article, e.g., suchas concentrations of 1% or less. For example, conventional methods mayproduce the scented article using a fragrance material such as afragrance oil having a relatively low concentration of the scentedcompound (e.g., 5% concentration or less) that is loaded in the bulkmaterial at loads of 10% or less with respect to the base material(s),which results in a 0.5%, or less, concentration of fragrance compositionin the scented article. As such, conventional approaches formanufacturing scented articles do not address the challenge of loadinghigh concentrations of a fragrance material in low volumes of basematerials, let alone for scented articles that require robust, rigidplastics as the base material to provide the structure and shape of thearticle.

The challenges in manufacturing solid scented materials includesdesigning a stable material that has a high adsorption capacity forvolatile compounds. In the design of scented material, the rigid plasticmust (1) trap a sufficient amount of the scented compound in the plastic(e.g., the polymeric matrix) in order to deliver the scent and (2)control the capture of the fragrant compound as a function of time suchthat there is a controlled and continuous release of the scentedmaterial over a given period of time. For example, if the polymericmaterial (e.g., the plastic) is packed too tightly, that is not porousenough, the fragrance will not be effectively released from the materialand therefore, the fragrance will not be delivered. Conversely, if thepolymeric material is packed too loosely, that is too porous, then thefragrant compound will rapidly diffuse out of the plastic, resulting inan unstable scented material. Moreover, scented compounds typicallyexhibit properties that make them difficult to manage during synthesisand post-synthesis, such as sensitivities to oxidation, hydrolysis andheat that cause the scented compounds and/or their constituents to beaffected by the presence of oxygen, water, and heat, respectively, intheir production environments. Since different scented compounds providedifferent fragrances or aromas, their chemical constituents vary betweenthe compounds, which adds further complexity to the compound synthesisprocess to produce an effective, stable scented compound to meet theload requirements for integration into a solid material, like plastic.In view of the above, the design of a scented material requires a finebalance among synthesizing the scented compound to have the desiredfragrance with appropriate load ratios and manufacturing a solid scentedmaterial with an optimal porosity that enables the adsorption of thevolatile compounds, but also, the subsequent slow diffusion of thevolatile compounds from the material.

Disclosed are scented material compositions, scented articles andmethods and systems of their manufacture. In particular, the disclosedscented materials and articles include scented articles for a bottle capsystem having a scented attachment for enhancing a user's sense of smelland/or taste of a beverage in the bottle.

The disclosed methods and systems for manufacturing such scentedattachments include an integrated series of processes to produce ascented article that can deliver a chemically-designed scent or aromathat accurately simulates a familiar and pleasing smell to a user, suchas a fruit flavor, a spice flavor, a candy flavor, and the like. Thedisclosed manufacturing methods and systems account for a plethora ofprocessing parameters and constraints that, if not controlled, can causeundesired variations in the intermediary products that ultimatelydegrade the final scented material integral to the scented article, andthereby render an inaccurate or inferior scent from the scentedattachment (and ruin the scent experience the user would otherwise enjoywhile drinking the beverage).

In some example embodiments, a method for manufacturing a scentedarticle, e.g., such as a scented attachment as described above, includesselecting a loading parameter (e.g., % wt, % mass, % mol, and/or volume)of a fragrance material with respect to a base material (e.g., plasticmaterial, such as a polyolefin) to manufacture a scented material;melting the base material in a chamber including mechanically processingthe base material to cause the base material to change from a solidphase to a liquid phase or liquid-like phase at a particular viscosity(e.g., in which the particular viscosity of the melted base material hasa lower viscosity or viscosity range relative to the solid basematerial); mixing an amount of the fragrance material in accordance withthe selected loading parameter with the melted base material at apredetermined temperature and pressure in the chamber to form anintermediary scented material; extruding the intermediary scentedmaterial through holes of an extrusion plate to form an extrudedintermediary scented material; modifying the extruded intermediaryscented material to form pellets; cooling the pellets in a fluid baththat prevents exposure of the pellets to air and/or atmosphericconditions (e.g., including temperature, humidity and/or oxygen); dryingthe cooled pellets without applying heat to produce the scentedmaterial; and producing a scented article including one or more ofinjection molding, compression molding, or other material processingtechnique using the scented material to form a desired shape of thescented article.

In some example embodiments, a system for manufacturing a scentedarticle includes (i) a fragrance material processing system to formulateand/or maintain conditions of a fragrance material that includes anodorless carrier compound and a scent-flavor compound at a particularconcentration up to 30% of the fragrance material; (ii) a materialprocessing apparatus including a channel having a plurality ofprocessing zones that includes a first zone to pre-process a basematerial (e.g., plastic material, such as a polyolefin) and a secondzone to introduce and process the fragrance material at a selected loadparameter (e.g., % wt, % mass, % mol, and/or volume) with thepre-processed base material; (iii) a continuous screw configured in thechannel to produce an intermediary scented material from the processedbase material and the fragrance material, in which the screw is operablein the first zone to transform the base material from a solid phase to aliquid phase through physical movement of the screw that mechanicallycontacts and churns the base material to create heat that melts the basematerial, and in the second zone to mix the fragrance material with themelted base material at a predetermined temperature in the second zoneto form intermediary scented material; (iv) a shaping apparatusincluding an extrusion plate configured at the end of the channel andincluding a plurality of holes to extrude the intermediary scentedmaterial, and a cutting mechanism to reduce size and modify shape of theextruded intermediary scented material to form scented pellets from thecut and extruded intermediary scented material; (v) a cooling apparatusincluding a container having a fluid contained therein at a coolingtemperature to receive and cool the scented pellets in the fluid thatprevents air exposure to the pellets and thereby traps volatile fragrantconstituents of the intermediary scented material in the intermediaryscented material; (vi) a drying apparatus including a spin dryer to drythe cooled pellets without applying heat; and (vii) a molding apparatusto produce scented articles having a shape and size based on a moldusing the scented pellets and/or (viii) a packaging apparatus to collectthe cooled scented pellets or the produced scented articles and create apackaging to surround the scented pellets or articles in a manner thatrestricts air and contaminants from contact with the scented pellets orarticles and controls the amount of air and pressure in the packaging.

In implementations of example embodiments of the disclosed methods andsystems in accordance with the present technology, challenges to producescented articles like the scented ring include selecting the rightcomposition parameters of the fragrance material used in themanufacturing process (e.g., such as a fragrance compound in the form ofan oil, emulsion or other liquid or liquid like phase). For example, thedisclosed methods and systems include engineered fragrance compounds tobe compatible with certain polymer base materials, such as polyolefin,in which the fragrance compounds are integrated into the base materialsat particularly high loads of the fragrance compound, such as in %concentration or % wt ranges of 10% or greater, e.g., 10-30% fragranceoil. For example, the process of manufacturing the scented material(e.g., in the form of scented pellets) requires determining conditionsthat provide a material with the right chemical properties to (1) adsorbthe fragrance compound and (2) control the release of fragrance compoundas a function of time.

In some example embodiments of the fragrance material used to producescented materials and articles in accordance with the presenttechnology, the fragrance material can include an odorless flavorcarrier compound and a scent flavor compound. In some embodiments, theodorless flavor carrier compound includes medium chain triglyceride(MCT) and Triacetin (1,2,3-triacetoxypropane). In such embodiments, forexample, the flavor or fragrance material, such as fragrance oil,includes MCT, Triacetin, and the scent-flavor compound, in which the MCTincludes a % wt in a range of 50-80% wt, the Triacetin includes a % wtin a range of 15-25% wt, and the scent-flavor compound includes a % wtin a range of 1-30% wt. In some examples, the fragrance oil includes MCTat a 50-70% wt range (e.g., 60% wt), triacetin at a 15-25% wt range(e.g., 20% wt), and the scent-flavor compound at 15-25% wt range (e.g.,20% wt). Table 1 shows an example formulation of a fragrance material(e.g., fragrance oil) in accordance with the present technology, showinga range of weight percentages for constituents of the fragrancematerial.

TABLE 1 Constituent % Weight MCT 50%-80% Triacetin 15%-25% Scent-flavorcompound  1%-30%

Some example scent-flavor compounds used in the example methods andsystems in accordance with the present technology include, but are notlimited to, 15-30% caproates, for example, natural allyl caproate orethyl caproate for the scent-flavor Pineapple; passionfruit sulfur, forexample, methyl 4-propyl 1,3-oxathiane for the scent-flavorPassionfruit; tangerine oil for the scent-flavor Tangerine; ocimenes andmenthanethiol or mercaptan for the scent-flavor Mango; lime oil for thescent-flavor Lime; and peppermint oil and menthol for the scent-flavorMint.

Some of the scent flavor compounds, such as methyl 4-propyl1,3-oxathine, for example, have a relatively a high vapor pressure(e.g., evaporate rapidly under atmospheric conditions) and can be hardto prevent their diffusion from scented materials. This furtherillustrates that the disclosed methods and systems (e.g., such as themethod 1400 and the system 1500 discussed below) provide effective andefficient techniques for producing scented materials and scentedarticles, such as the scented ring 610 and/or other examples of thescented rings, when using such constituents to produce the fragrancematerial.

FIG. 14 shows a flow diagram of an example method 1400 to manufacture ascented material in accordance with the present technology that can beused to produce a scented article, such as the disclosed scentedattachments. The method 1400 includes a process 1405 to produce afragrance material from a scent-flavor compound and an odorless carriercompound. In some implementations, for example, the odorless flavorcarrier compound includes medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and Triacetin(1,2,3-triacetoxypropane). The scent-flavor chemical constituent orcompound can include a variety of substances associated with certainscents. The individual constituents are synthesized into the fragrancematerial, which in some embodiments is a fragrance oil or other fragrantsubstance in the form of an emulsion, liquid, or liquid-like phase(e.g., viscous material).

The method 1400 includes a process 1410 to receive a base material,e.g., plastic material such as polyolefin, in a processing chamber andmelt the base material to a liquid or liquid-like phase, e.g., having aparticular viscosity or viscosity range. In some examples, the viscosityrange includes 10 mPa·s to 75 mPa·s, e.g., at temperatures between95-300 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.). In some implementations, the process1410 includes mechanically mashing the base material to melt it into aliquid or liquid-like phase of the material. For example, in suchimplementations, conditions in the processing chamber are controlledthrough the mechanical processing which holds the mashed and meltedmaterial at a controllable temperature and pressure, and thereby reachand maintain a desired viscosity of the base material in the chamber. Insome implementations, the temperature in the chamber is maintained in arange between 260-280 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.). In someimplementations, the process 1410 includes initially applying heat tothe processing chamber, such that the chamber and/or portions of themechanical processing machine in the chamber are at an elevatedtemperature, in which the mechanical processing causes an increase intemperature of the base material as it is mashed to cause the melting tothe liquid or liquid-like phase. For example, in such implementations,absent the mechanical processing, the base material would remain solidin the chamber. Importantly, the optimization of the mechanical mashingand melting of the base material as described in and the process 1410can enable the conversion of the base material into a liquid orliquid-like phase, which is required to effectively mix the materials(e.g., base material and fragrance oil). In some embodiments, the method1400 includes a process to controllably feed the base material into theprocessing chamber based on the measured values (e.g., weight amount) ofthe base material in a feeder that supplies the material in the chamber.

The method 1400 includes a process 1420 to receive the fragrancematerial, e.g., a fragrance oil, in the processing chamber and mix thefragrance material and melted base material at controlled temperatureand pressure in the chamber to form an intermediary scented material. Insome implementations of the method 1400, the process 1405 or 1420includes selecting a loading parameter of the fragrance material, suchas the % wt, % mass, % mol, and/or volume of the fragrance material, tobe processed with the base material to manufacture the intermediaryscented material to have a particular % concentration or concentrationrange of the fragrance material in the base material (e.g., scentloading in a range of 1% to 30%). In some implementations, the process1420 includes generating different temperatures and pressures in adifferent region or regions of the chamber to process the mixedmaterials and form the intermediary scented material. For example, theprocess 1410 may include a first temperature and/or pressure to melt thebase material to the liquid or liquid-like phase, and the process 1420may include a second temperature and/or pressure to combine thefragrance material and the melted base material to form the intermediaryscented material. In some embodiments, the method 1400 includes aprocess to controllably feed the fragrance material into the processingchamber based on the measured values (e.g., weight and/or volume amount)of the fragrance material in a feeder that supplies the material in thechamber. In some embodiments, the method 1400 includes a process toreceive and mix one or more additional compounds or materials with themelted base material and the fragrance material, e.g., such as acolorant.

The fragrance material produced from the process 1405 is a fragrance oraroma substance used in the process 1420 to engineer a specializedmaterial that exhibits a scent for a variety of scented articles. Forexample, not all fragrance compounds are compatible with certain polymerbase materials, particularly with high loads of the fragrance compound(e.g., fragrance oil) in % wt ranges of 10% or greater, e.g., 10-30%fragrance oil. As a result, identifying the right combination ofmaterials requires a rigorous optimization processes involving thevariation of numerous materials processing parameters (e.g.,temperature, specific amounts of the material, order of addition, etc.)to arrive at a stable, scented material that can encapsulate and retainscent. In particular, the experimental conditions and combinations ofpolymer base materials and fragrant compounds can have a directed effecton the ability of the material to retain the scent.

The method 1400 includes a process 1430 to receive and modify the shapeand/or size of the intermediary scented material through extrusion. Forexample, in some implementations, the process 1430 includes forcing theintermediary scented material, which is soft and malleable, throughholes having a shape and size to form elongated, tubular configurationsof an extruded material, e.g., like a spaghetti-like form. Inimplementations, for example, the process 1430 outputs the extrudedmaterial in a container of fluid (e.g., water or other biocompatible ornontoxic aqueous fluids or fluidic substances, like an oil or organicsolution). The fluid helps to prevent volatile fragrant compounds fromescaping the extruded material.

The method 1400 includes a process 1440 to receive and further modifythe shape and/or size of the extruded materials to a small size, e.g.,by cutting to form particles. Some examples of the shape-modifiedscented particles include uncurved-shaped particles or curved-shapedparticles like spherical, oval, cylindrical or conical particles, oruncurved shaped particles, e.g., pellets having a dimension in a rangeof 1/16 inch to ¼ inch. In implementations, the process 1440 includesdepositing the scented particles (e.g., cut pellets) of the extrudedmaterial in a container of a fluid (e.g., water or other biocompatibleor nontoxic aqueous fluids or fluidic substances, like an oil or organicsolution).

The method 1400 includes a process 1450 to receive the scented particlesand cool them to a desired temperature (or temperature range) in amanner that prevents volatile fragrant compounds to escape (e.g.,diffuse) out of the intermediary scented material during the coolingstage, e.g., by evaporation. In some examples, the desired temperatureor temperature range includes at or around room temperature or, in someimplementations, in a temperature range of 15-30° C. In someimplementations, the process 1450 includes passing the scented particlesthrough a fluid bath (e.g., water bath) to cool the scented particles(e.g., pellets) such that there is no exposure of the scented particlesto air and atmospheric conditions while cooling. For example, in suchimplementations, the fluid (e.g., water) can be pumped in a direction toallow the scented particles to flow through the fluid bath whilecooling.

For example, the process 1450, which includes cooling the examplepellets in a fluid bath, enables the rapid cooling of the pellets totrap volatile fragrant compounds in the pellets, in which cooling thepellets in a fluid bath provides a pressure greater than the atmospheresuch that the pellet is surrounded by a medium dense enough to preventdiffusion (e.g., evaporation) of the scented material. In someimplementations, the cooling process may partially occur during theprocess 1440 and/or the process 1450.

The process 1450 prevents exposure of the scented particles to airand/or atmospheric conditions in order to increase the stability of theresulting particles. For example, implementation of this processprecludes altering the composition of the scented pellet by preventingexposure to elements from the air and atmosphere (e.g., temperaturefluctuations, changes in humidity, and reactivity of atmospheric gases(e.g., dioxygen)) that could degrade the scented pellet. This processalso prevents mixing of contaminants from the atmosphere with the basematerial in order to ensure that the integrity, that is the scent andstability, of the scented pellet is maintained.

The method 1400 includes a process 1460 to dry the cooled, scentedparticles and produce the scented material. In some implementations, theprocess 1460 includes spin drying the intermediary scented material(e.g., particles, in the form of pellets) after it has been cooled tothe desired temperature, e.g., in which the spin drying does not includeapplying heat but can maintain a specific temperature, as applied heatcan accelerate volatility of the fragrant compounds formed in theintermediary scented material. The scented material produced by themethod 1400 can be used to produce a variety of scented articles, suchas the example embodiments of the scented ring described herein.

In some embodiments, the method 1400 can further include a process 1470to package the dried scented material produced by the process 1460(e.g., such as the dried scented pellets) in a sealed container. In someimplementations of the process 1470, for example, the sealed containerincludes a vacuum sealed container. For example, the vacuum sealedcontainer can minimize any head room and remove contaminants, likeoxygen in air, from the container while the produced scented material(e.g., pellets) remain in packaging for their desired application oruse, such as during transit and storage. In certain examples, the vacuumsealed container includes a bin or a bag with aluminum interior liningto prevent evacuation of the scent chemical integrated in the scentedmaterial.

In some embodiments, the method 1400 can further include a process 1480to fabricate a scented article, such as the scented ring 610, 1110,1120, 1200, 1210, 1220 and/or other examples of the disclosed scentedring, by material-processing the dried scented material (e.g., pellets).For example, in some implementations, a predetermined quantity (e.g.,volume and/or mass) of the dried scented material is inputted into amolding machine to compression mold or injection mold the scentedarticle to have a desired design, like a ring, in which, the shape andsize of the scented article may be based on the mold. In someimplementations, the example molding process of the dried scentedmaterial can include venting during molding to allow heat producedduring the molding to escape to maintain a favorable temperature and/orpressure of the material being molded into the scented article, e.g., asincreased pressure can cause scarring of the final molded product. Insome implementations, the example molding process includes cooling themolding material to a temperature that can help prevent volatilechemicals from escaping the scented material. For example, in someimplementations, the material-processing of the dried scented materialcan include adding a colorant, adhesive, or other chemical additive tofabricate the scented article. In various implementations, for example,the process 1480 can be implemented following the process 1460 or 1470.

In some implementations, the method 1400 can further include a processto vacuum seal the scented article in a packaging, e.g., to prevent air,contaminants, or any atmospheric conditions to contact and/or affect thescented article and thereby threaten the quality of the manufacturedproduct. For example, the vacuum sealed packaging can include a bag withaluminum interior lining to prevent evacuation of the scent from thescented article.

FIG. 15 shows a diagram of an example system 1500 to produce a scentedmaterial in accordance with the present technology. The system 1500 isoperable to perform various embodiments of the method 1400. As shown inFIG. 15, the system 1500 includes a first receiving zone 1510 to receiveto receive a base material 1501, e.g., a plastic, such as a polyolefin.In some implementations, in the first receiving zone 1510, the basematerial 1501 is received in a solid phase and is melted in the zone1510 from solid phase to form a liquid or liquid-like phase of the basematerial 1501, shown as liquid or liquid-like base material 1502. Insome implementations, the base material 1501 is received in a liquid orliquid-like phase in the zone 1510. In some embodiments, the system 1500includes a first feeder 1511 to store and/or controllably feed the basematerial 1501 into first receiving zone 1510.

The base material 1501 can include polyolefin polymer materials.Examples of polyolefin materials used as the base material 1501 include,but are not limited to, low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear lowdensity polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE),polypropylene (PP), and/or LDPE EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) copolymer,or any blend of these polymers. The new, scented material to be producedusing the system 1500 will release a scent when exposed to air, and assuch, the base material 1501 to be processed should be selected to havematerial properties that encapsulate and/or enhance oil retention,stiffness, processability for the scented material. The materials usedin the system 1500 can preferably include materials having a flashpointabove 140° F., e.g., to ensure safety in the manufacturing processes.

In some example implementations of methods for manufacturing scentedmaterials, the base material 1501 can include a flex PVC (polyvinylchloride), cellulose acetates, or polystyrene. Yet, these examplematerials may require very high temperatures (e.g., over 300° F.) forprocessing, may be very stiff, and/or may degrade in the presence of thefragrance material, and therefore are not optimal base materials forprocessing using the system 1500. In some implementations, the basematerial 1501 can include polymer blends with rubber, such as polyetherblock amides like Pebax®, which allow oils to be absorbed. Notably,Pebax® is currently an expensive material (e.g., around $6/lb.), and maynot be optimal for applications in which cost is a constraint.

The system 1500 includes a kneading assembly 1515 configured in thefirst receiving zone 1510 and structured to include a chamber and acontinuous screw in the chamber that operates to melt the solid phase ofthe base material 1501 to the liquid or liquid-like phase base material1502 in the kneading assembly 1515 through physical movement of thescrew creating heat to melt the base material 1501 and regulatingtemperature and pressure of the chamber. The operation of the kneadingassembly 1515 provides control of temperature and pressure that areapplied to the material inside the kneading assembly 1515. The screw ofthe kneading assembly 1515 can be structured as a segmented screw. Forexample, in certain embodiments, the screw can include a twin screw orsingle screw. In implementations, the screw of the kneading assembly1515 can move by ‘reciprocating’ back and forth. The chamber of thekneading assembly 1515 can be configured as a sealed chamber thatmaintains pressure and temperature regulation inside the kneadingassembly 1515.

The example kneading assembly 1515 operates to create a controllabletemperature and pressure to mechanically mash and melt the base material1501 (e.g., plastic) into a liquid, in which pressure is not a setting.Temperature is used to maintain viscosity of the material in theassembly 1515 and hold the material in a liquid or liquid-like state. Insome examples, the viscosity range includes 10 mPa·s to 75 mPa·s, e.g.,at temperatures between 95-300 degrees Fahrenheit (° F.). In someimplementations, the kneading assembly 1515 operates to regulate thematerial processing temperature in a range of 260-280 degrees Fahrenheit(° F.), e.g., to melt a solid plastic like polyolefins, in the firstreceiving zone 1510. For example, the physical structure and motion ofthe screw generates mechanical energy (e.g., torque) that can providesufficient heat to initially melt the plastic and maintain the meltedplastic in the liquid or liquid-like state throughout the productionprocess.

In some embodiments of the kneading assembly 1515, for example, externalheaters are not required to melt the plastic. Yet, in some embodiments,for example, the first receiving zone 1510 can additionally oralternatively include a heating unit that applies heat to melt, orassist in melting, the solid base material 1501 to the liquid orliquid-like material 1502 in the chamber. For example, in suchimplementations, heat can be initially applied to the processing chamberin the zone 1510, such that the chamber and/or the screw of the kneadingassembly 1515 are raised to an elevated temperature, but not hot enoughto cause melting of the base material 1501, in which the mechanicalprocessing causes an increase in temperature of the base material 1501as it is processed by the kneading assembly 1515 to produce the basematerial 1502. For example, in such implementations, absent themechanical processing by the kneading assembly 1515, the base materialwould remain solid in the chamber.

The system 1500 includes a second receiving zone 1520 to receive afragrance oil 1505, e.g., such as an aromatic composition comprising oneor more scented chemical constituents mixed with other substances toform a scented oil or other non-solid fragrant. The second receivingzone 1520 is configured proximate to the first receiving zone 1510 ofthe system 1500 to receive the liquid or liquid-like base material 1502,e.g., liquefied plastic processed by kneading assembly 1515, which iscombined with the fragrance oil 1505 received in the zone 1520. As shownin the example of FIG. 15, the kneading assembly 1515 is also configuredin the second receiving zone 1520, which processes the fragrance oil1505 to be mixed with the liquid or liquid-like base material 1502 toform an intermediary scented material 1522. In such embodiments, thefirst receiving zone 1510 and the second receiving zone 1520 share thesame chamber of the kneading assembly 1515, in which the base material1501 and the fragrance oil 1505 are added at two separate entry pointsof the chamber, corresponding to the first and second receiving zones1510 and 1520, respectively. In some embodiments, the system 1500includes a second feeder 1521 to store and/or controllably feed thefragrance oil 1505 into second receiving zone 1520.

In implementations, for example, the kneading assembly 1515 is operableto generate different temperatures and pressures in different regions ofthe assembly. For example, in some implementations, the kneadingassembly 1515 in the second receiving zone 1520 can operate to raise thetemperature of the mixed materials to a second temperature (e.g., ˜220°F.) while being churned and pushed through the assembly 1515.

In some embodiments, the kneading assembly 1515, in the first receivingzone 1510, includes one or more a restriction rings so the solid basematerial 1501 never crosses into the second receiving zone 1520.Therefore, in such embodiments, only the melted material 1502 (e.g.,liquid plastic) can migrate to the second receiving zone 1520, e.g., thefragrance/aroma zone. If the solid base material 1501 (e.g., plastic) isnot melted by the portion of the chamber where a restriction ring ispositioned, the solid base material 1501 gets pushed back until itsmelted to a form that the restriction ring allows to pass. In someembodiments, the one or more restriction rings include multiplerestriction rings with narrowing sizes that narrow down space in thechamber. Similarly, for example, the kneading assembly 1515 isstructured to keep oil out of the melting process in the first zone 1510In implementations, for example, the fragrance oil 1505 is injected intothe melted base material 1502 after the solid base material 1501 hasmelted, which can include processing the solid base material 1501 in thefirst receiving zone 1510 to have a certain viscosity or viscosity range(10 mPa·s to 75 mPa·s). In some implementations, for example, the meltedbase material 1502 is processed to have a viscosity that matches theviscosity of the received fragrance oil 1505. For example, the viscosityof the received fragrance oil 1505 can be in a range of 1 mPa·s to 10Pa·s at room temperature.

In certain embodiments, the feeders 1511 and/or 1521 include a scale tomeasure mass of the raw materials 1501 and/or 1505 to control thetiming, rate, and/or amount of the materials to be released in therespective zones. In accordance with some embodiments of the method1400, the system 1500 can provide colorant constituents to be mixed withthe materials. For example, color can be received at a region of thefirst receiving zone 1510 to be mixed with the base material 1501 as itis melted by the kneading assembly 1515. In some implementations such asthose with a liquid or liquid like raw base material 1501, for example,color can be mixed with the base material 1501 in the first feeder 1511.Similarly, color can be mixed with the fragrance oil 1505 in the secondfeeder 1521, and/or color can be received at a region of the secondreceiving zone 1520 to be mixed with the mixed constituent materials1502 and 1505 as they are churned by the kneading assembly 1515. Thesealed chamber of the kneading assembly 1515 can prevent air,contaminants, or any atmospheric conditions to contact and/or affect thefragrance oil 1505 and/or the mixed constituent materials 1502 and 1505to form the intermediary scented material 1522.

For example, the sealed chamber prevents exposure of the intermediaryscented material 1522 to air and/or atmospheric conditions to enhancethe stability of the resulting material by precluding reactivity withelements from the air and atmosphere (e.g., temperature fluctuations,changes in humidity, and reactivity of atmospheric gases (e.g.,dioxygen)) that could degrade the intermediary scented material 1522).

In some implementations, the system 1500 utilizes the feeders 1511and/or 1521 to starve-feed the kneading assembly 1515. That is, thefeeders 1511 and/or 1521 determine how the screw moves based on themeasured values of what is in the feeder, e.g., weight amount. As anexample, the feeders 1511 and/or 1521 can measure a relatively highweight of the raw materials that corresponds to a first speed of thescrew turning; and the feeders 1511 and/or 1521 can measure a lowerweight of the raw materials in the feeder(s) that corresponds to asecond speed of the screw turning. As such, the fragrance oil 1505 canbe injected into the system 1500 on a computerized loss and weightfeeder.

In some implementations, the base material 1501 may already be in theform of base material 1502, i.e., liquid or liquid-like form, e.g.,capable of flow. In such implementations, the liquid base material 1502and the fragrance oil 1505 can be added at the same point of entry atthe kneading assembly 1515 in the chamber, in which the first and secondreceiving zones 1510 and 1520 are the same physical zone, but may varyfrom a temporal aspect as to when the materials 1501 and 1505 arereceived.

In other embodiments, one or both of the first and second receivingzones 1510 and 1520 can include a continuous mixer assembly or a batchmixer assembly to mix the base material 1501 and the fragrance oil 1505.

The system 1500 includes a zone 1530 to receive and process theintermediary scented material 1522 produced by the kneading assembly1515 to modify its shape and size, e.g., by extrusion. In someembodiments, the zone 1530 includes an extrusion plate, e.g., a metalface plate, with a plurality of holes configured perpendicular with thematerial flow direction at the end face of the kneading assembly 1515.For example, an extruded material 1533 is formed in elongated shapes andsizes defined by the holes of the plate. In some embodiments, the system1500 includes a container of a fluid (e.g., water or other biocompatibleor nontoxic aqueous fluids or fluidic substances, like an oil or organicsolution) in the zone 1530, in which the intermediary scented material1522 is received and modified, e.g., by extrusion. In someimplementations, the extruded material 1533 is forced out of thekneading assembly 1515 through the holes of the extrusion plate in thezone 1530 in a spaghetti-like form.

In some embodiments, the system 1500 includes a zone 1540 to receive andprocess the extruded material 1533 to further modify its shape and size,e.g., such as cut to form scented particles, including beads, pellets orother smaller particles. In some embodiments, the system 1500 includes acontainer of a fluid (e.g., water or other biocompatible or nontoxicaqueous fluids or fluidic substances, like an oil or organic solution)and a blade cutter in the zone 1540, in which the blade cutter cuts theshape-formed extruded material 1533 to scented particles 1544 (e.g.,pellets) submerged in the fluid. In some implementations, for example, ablade of the cutter spins behind the metal plate with holes and cuts thespaghetti-like extruded material 1533 into small scented particles 1544.For example, the size of example pellets can include a ⅛ inch roundsize. In some implementations, the pellet size is not essential if themethod for manufacture includes a re-melting process. Whereas, in someembodiments, the system 1500 provides the extruded material 1533directly to a cooling zone, discussed below.

The system 1500 includes a cooling zone 1550 including a fluid (e.g.,water or other biocompatible or nontoxic aqueous fluids or fluidicsubstances, like an oil or organic solution) at a predeterminedtemperature to receive the cut scented particles 1544 and cool them to adesired temperature (or temperature range) to form a scented material1555, e.g., in the shape of scented particles or other shape of theintermediary scented material 1522 after the zone 1530. In someexamples, the desired temperature or temperature range includes at oraround room temperature, or in some implementations in a temperaturerange of 15-30° C. In some embodiments, the cooling zone 1550 includes afluid bath (e.g., water bath) arranged at the end of the kneadingassembly 1515 to span between the zones 1530, 1540 and 1550, includingafter the extrusion plate and the cutter, which receives the scentedparticles 1544 and flows them in the fluid bath along a channel to becooled to the desired temperature or temperature range. For example, insome implementations, the cooling zone 1550 can include a pump 1557 thatpumps fluid in the fluid bath to create a flow that can drive thescented particles 1544 from one region of the water bath to anotherregion of the water bath of the cooling zone 1550. In the cooling zone1550, the fluid (e.g., water) is circulated back and forth andtemperature controlled. In some implementations, the fluid (e.g., water)in the cooling zone is set to a predetermined temperature of 80-85° F.In an example embodiment, the water bath is structured as a stainlesssteel tube to span a distance (e.g., 30 ft.) to facilitate the examplepellets traveling the distance of the tube in the fluid.

The cooling zone 1550 provides a cooling module that prevents thevolatile constituents of the intermediary scented material (e.g., formedas the particles, such as pellets) from immediately escaping the formedmaterial. The cooling zone operates by slowing down the sublimationprocess of the scented materials (e.g., where the scented material isconverted to a gas (vapor) and is released into the atmosphere) in orderto effectively trap the scent in the scented materials. To form ascented material in accordance with the present technology, theintermediary scented material must be cooled to a desired temperatureusing a fluid to trap the volatile chemicals from escaping (e.g.,evaporating), which could otherwise escape in air. In some embodiments,after the scented particles 1544 are cooled to the desired temperaturein the cooling zone 1550, e.g., room temperature (e.g., 22-27° C.) orjust above room temperature, the cooled scented material 1555 can bedried by spin drying and/or applying a gas (such as nitrogen) or air.

For example, in implementations, cooling the scented particles in afluid bath enables the rapid cooling of the particle to trap volatilefragrant compounds in the scented material as a consequence in thedifference between the heat capacity of water vs air. Also, for example,cooling the scented particles in a fluid bath provides a pressuregreater than the atmosphere such that the particle (e.g., pellet) issurrounded by a medium dense enough to prevent diffusion (e.g.,evaporation) of the scented material.

For example, preventing exposure of the scented material to air and/oratmospheric conditions during the manufacturing increases the stabilityof the resulting scented particle by precluding contamination withelements from the air and atmosphere. Such elements in the air andatmosphere can include, but are not limited to, fluctuations intemperature, changes in humidity and reactive of atmospheric gases(e.g., dioxygen) that could degrade the scented material. Also, forexample, preventing exposure from air and atmosphere excludes theincorporation of impurities into the scented particles that could affectthe particle's scent and stability.

The system 1500 includes a drying zone 1560 to dry the cooled, scentedmaterial 1555 (e.g., particles, such as pellets, beads, etc.) to producean engineered scented material 1566. In some embodiments, the dryingzone 1560 includes a spin dryer to spin dry the cooled, scented material1555. The scented particles are not heated in the drying zone 1560, asapplied heat can accelerate volatility of the fragrant compounds formedin the cooled, scented material 1555. In some embodiments, the dryingzone 1560 can also include a packaging system to receive the dried,engineered scented material 1566 (e.g., formed as pellets) and seal theengineered scented material 1566 in one or more sealed containers 1571.In some embodiments, the packaging system of the drying zone 1560 isarranged adjacent and separate from the spin dryer or other exampledrying apparatus. In such embodiments, the dried, engineered scentedmaterial 1566 are provided to the packaging system, which includes oneor more openings at a terminal end to allow the one or more sealedcontainers 1571 to reversibly fasten so that the engineered scentedmaterial 1566 can be packaged within the sealed container(s) 1571 thatminimizes exposure to air, moisture, and contaminants.

In some embodiments, the system 1500 can further include articleprocessing machine or system 1580 to receive the engineered scentedmaterial 1566, e.g., directly from the drying zone 1560 or indirectlyfrom the drying zone 1560 via from a packaging like container 1571, andto process the engineered scented material 1566 to produce a scentedarticle 1588. In some embodiments, the article processing machine 1580includes a compression molding or injection molding machine to fabricatethe scented article 1588 based on a mold having a predetermined shapeand size to create the article, such as a scented ring, scented sheet,or other design of the scented article. In some examples, the articleprocessing machine 1580 includes a hot runner mold system or a gatedmolding system. In certain embodiments, for example, the gated moldingsystem includes one or more mold chamber shaped to dimensions of a ring,and a small tube component that connects with the mold chamber toprovide a gate to expel waste product (e.g., which can be recycled). Forexample, the body of the scented article 1588 may be fabricated usingcompression molding, during which process the engineered scentedmaterial 1566 is shaped based on the mold and may include a colorant,adhesive, or other chemical additive be added to the article, in whichthe compression-molded end product includes color, and/or an additive isused to aid in the release of the product from the mold. In someexamples, the scented article 1588 is made from a single piece of shapedor otherwise molded material and may include a cavity into which theengineered scented material 1566 is injected.

In some embodiments, the system 1500 can further include an articlepackaging machine or system 1590 to package the scented article 1588 ina manner that restricts air and contaminants from contact with thescented articles and controls the amount of air and pressure in thepackaging. In some implementations, the article packaging machine 1590provides a vacuum sealed packaging 1598, e.g., in which a predeterminedamount of scented articles 1588 of the same fragrance or aroma arepackaged in a single vacuum packaging. For example, the predeterminedamount can be selected by quantity of scented articles 1558, by weightof scented articles 1558, by volume of scented articles 1558, or thelike. In some implementations, the article packaging machine 1590separates the inputted scented articles 1588, based on the batch orderof input, such that scented articles of a first scent (e.g., mint) arepackaged in a separate packaging from scented articles of a second scent(e.g., pineapple).

In some implementations of methods for manufacturing using the system1500, the time between initiating feeding of the materials 1501 and 1505and the pellet formation can include producing 500 lbs. of the producedmaterial (pellets) per hour. As such, a single pellet 1544 can beproduced in the zones 1510-1540 in approximately 15 seconds. In someimplementations, the dwell time in the cooling zone includes only a fewseconds (e.g., 2 to 5 seconds). Spin drying the example scented pelletscan include times of a few seconds to one minute, in some examples.Therefore, methods for manufacturing scented materials using the system1500 can produce a container of the scented material 1566 in under aminute.

EXAMPLES

In some example embodiments, a method for manufacturing a scentedmaterial (example D1) includes melting a base material (e.g., plasticmaterial) in a chamber including mechanically processing the basematerial to cause the base material to change from a solid phase to aliquid phase or liquid-like phase at a particular viscosity; mixing afluid fragrance material with the melted base material at apredetermined temperature and/or pressure in the chamber to form anintermediary scented material; extruding the intermediary scentedmaterial through holes of an extrusion plate to form an extrudedintermediary scented material; cooling the intermediary scented materialin a fluid bath that prevents exposure of the intermediary scentedmaterial to air and/or harmful atmospheric conditions includingtemperature, humidity and/or oxygen; and drying the cooled scentedmaterial without applying heat to produce a scented material.

Example D2 includes the method of example D1, in which the mechanicallyprocessing the base material is performed at a controllable temperatureand pressure determined by mechanical energy associated with churningthe base material.

Example D3 includes the method of example D2, in which the controllabletemperature and pressure include a first temperature and pressure tomelt the base material, and the predetermined temperature and pressureinclude a second temperature and pressure to combine the fragrancematerial and the melted base material to form the intermediary scentedmaterial.

Example D4 includes the method of example D1, further including mixingan additional material with the melted base material and the fragrancematerial.

Example D5 includes the method of example D4, in which the additionalmaterial includes a colorant.

Example D6 includes the method of example D1, further includingcontrollably feeding the base material into the chamber based on one ormore measured values of the base material to supply the base material inthe chamber.

Example D7 includes the method of example D1, further includingcontrollably feeding the fluid fragrance material into the chamber basedon one or more measured values of the fragrance material to supply thefragrance material in the chamber.

Example D8 includes the method of example D1, further includingmodifying the extruded intermediary scented material to form scentedparticles, in which the cooling the intermediary scented materialincludes cooling the scented particles in the fluid bath, and the dryingincludes drying the cooled scented particles.

Example D9 includes the method of example D8, in which the extrudingincludes forcing the intermediary scented material through holes of theextrusion plate having a curved shape and predetermined size to form anelongated, tubular extruded material, and in which the modifyingincludes cutting the elongated, tubular extruded material to the scentedparticles.

Example D10 includes the method of example D1, further includinginitially applying heat to the chamber, such that at least some portionsof the chamber are at an elevated temperature, wherein the mechanicallyprocessing causes an increase in temperature of the base material as itis mechanically processed to cause the melting of the base material tothe liquid phase or liquid-like phase.

Example D1l includes the method of example D1, further includingselecting a loading parameter of the fragrance material with respect tothe base material, in which the loading parameter includes a %concentration of the scented material in a range of 1% to 30%.

Example D12 includes the method of example D1, further includingproducing a scented article including molding the scented material toparticular shape of the scented article.

Example D13 includes the method of example D12, in which the particularshape includes a ring.

Example D14 includes the method of any of the preceding examples, inwhich the fragrance material includes a fragrance oil.

Example D15 includes the method of any of the preceding examples, inwhich the base material includes a plastic material including apolyolefin.

In some example embodiments, a system for manufacturing a scentedmaterial (example D16) includes a material processing chamber includinga channel having a first zone to process a base material and a secondzone to process a fragrance material with the processed base material; acontinuous screw configured in the channel to produce an intermediaryscented material from the processed base material and the fragrancematerial, in which the screw is operable in the first zone to transformthe base material from a solid phase to a liquid phase through physicalmovement of the screw that mechanically contacts and churns the basematerial to create heat that melts the base material, and in the secondzone to mix the fragrance material with the melted base material at apredetermined temperature in the second zone to form intermediaryscented material; a shaping apparatus including an extrusion plateconfigured at the end of the channel and including a plurality of holesto extrude the intermediary scented material; a cooling apparatusincluding a container having a fluid contained therein at a coolingtemperature to receive and cool the scented intermediary scentedmaterial (e.g., shaped intermediary scented material) in the fluid thatprevents air exposure to the intermediary scented material and therebytraps volatile fragrant constituents of the intermediary scentedmaterial within; and a drying apparatus to dry the cooled scentedmaterial without applying heat, thereby producing the scented material.

Example D17 includes the system of example D16, in which the screwincludes a twin screw or a single screw.

Example D18 includes the system of example D16, in which the screw isconfigured to move by reciprocating motion back and forth to driveprocessed material forward through the channel.

Example D19 includes the system of example D16, in which the materialprocessing chamber is a sealed chamber that maintains pressure andtemperature regulation therein.

Example D20 includes the system of example D16, in which the continuousscrew is operable to melt the base material in a first zone bymechanically processing the base material to cause the base material totransform from the solid phase to the liquid phase at a particularviscosity.

Example D21 includes the system of example D16, in which the shapingapparatus includes a cutting mechanism to reduce the size and modify theshape of the extruded intermediary scented material to form scentedparticles from the cut and extruded intermediary scented material.

Example D22 includes the system of example D16, wherein the dryingapparatus includes a spin dryer to spin dry the cooled scented material.

Example D23 includes the system of example D16, further including amolding apparatus to produce a scented article having a shape and sizebased on a mold using the scented material.

Example D23 includes the system of any of the preceding examples, inwhich the fragrance material includes a fragrance oil.

Example D24 includes the system of any of the preceding examples, inwhich the base material includes a plastic material including apolyolefin.

In some example embodiments, a scented attachment for a beveragecontainer (example D25) includes a scented article including a bodyloaded with a volatile chemical compound to emanate from the body of thescented article to generate a scent, wherein the scented articleincludes at least one interior protruding structure that projects froman interior wall of the body of the scented article and is configured tofasten to a bottle and be enclosed by a cap and the bottle when the capis securely fastened to the bottle, such that the scent from the scentedattachment is trapped when the cap is securely attached to the bottleand releases into an outer environment when the cap is detached from thebottle, wherein the scented article comprises a scented material formedof a fragrance oil and a plastic base material, and wherein the scentedarticle is produced by a process comprising: selecting a loadingparameter of the fragrance oil with respect to the plastic base materialto manufacture the scented material, wherein the loading parameterincludes a % concentration of the scented material in a range of 1% to30%; melting the plastic base material in a chamber includingmechanically processing the base material to cause the plastic basematerial to change from a solid phase to a liquid phase or liquid-likephase at a particular viscosity; mixing an amount of the fragrance oilin accordance with the selected loading parameter with the melted basematerial at a predetermined temperature and pressure in the chamber toform an intermediary scented material; extruding the intermediaryscented material through holes of an extrusion plate to form an extrudedintermediary scented material; modifying the extruded intermediaryscented material to form scented particles; cooling the scentedparticles in a fluid bath that prevents exposure of the scentedparticles to air; drying the cooled scented particles without applyingheat to produce the scented material; and producing the scented articleby molding the scented particles to a shape of the scented article.

Example D26 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25 andD27-D43, wherein the fragrance material can include a carrier compoundand the volatile chemical compound.

Example D27 includes the scented attachment of example D26, wherein thecarrier compound includes medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and Triacetin(1,2,3-triacetoxypropane).

Example D28 includes the scented attachment of example D26, wherein thevolatile chemical compound includes at least one of (i) caproatesincluding a natural allyl caproate and/or ethyl caproate for ascent-flavor of pineapple; (ii) passionfruit sulfur including methyl4-propyl 1,3-oxathiane for the scent-flavor of passionfruit; (iii)tangerine oil for the scent-flavor of tangerine; (iv) ocimenes andmenthanethiol or mercaptan for the scent-flavor of mango; (v) lime oilfor the scent-flavor of lime; or (vi) peppermint oil and menthol for thescent-flavor of mint.

Example D29 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D26-D28,wherein the fragrance oil includes a % wt of the MCT in a range of50-80% wt, a % wt of the Triacetin in a range of 15-25% wt, and a % wtof the volatile chemical compound in a range of 1-30% wt.

Example D30 includes the scented attachment of example D29, wherein thefragrance oil includes MCT at substantially 60% wt, Triacetin atsubstantially 20% wt, and the volatile chemical compound atsubstantially 20% wt.

Example D31 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D30and D32-D43, wherein the bottle is structured to contain a fluidbeverage, and the bottle includes a body region and a neck region, thebottle including a collar that extends outward and circumferentiallyaround the neck region, and a ledge structure that extends outward andcircumferentially around the neck region and is positioned above thecollar, wherein the scented article is configured to fasten around theneck region of the bottle based on contact between the at least oneinterior protruding structure of the scented article and a ledgestructure of the bottle, wherein the at least one interior protrudingstructure is positioned below the ledge structure.

Example D32 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D31and D33-D43, wherein the cap is reversibly attachable to the bottle, andthe cap includes an interior rim structure that projects from andcircumferentially around an interior cap wall of the cap, wherein thecap is structured to enclose the scented article in a compartment formedbetween the collar of the bottle and the interior rim structure of thecap when the cap is securely fastened to the bottle.

Example D33 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D32and D34-D43, wherein the scented article includes a scent ring.

Example D34 includes the scented attachment of example D33, wherein thescent ring further includes at least one exterior protruding structurethat projects from an exterior wall of the body of the scent ring.

Example D35 includes the scented attachment of example D34, wherein thescent ring is configured to detachably couple to the cap prior toinitial attachment of the cap and the scent ring to the bottle, whereinthe scent ring initially couples to the cap based on contact between theat least one exterior protruding structure of the scent ring and theinterior rim structure of the cap, and when the cap is initiallyfastened to the bottle the scent ring transfers from being coupled tothe cap to being coupled to the bottle based on contact between the atleast one interior protruding structure of the scent ring and the ledgestructure of the bottle.

Example D36 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D35and D37-D43, wherein the scent ring includes a cut-away region acrossthe body to allow the scent ring to be detachably coupled to the bottle,such that the scent ring is selectively detachable from the bottle.

Example D37 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D38and D36-D43, wherein the molding includes injection molding orcompression molding using the scented material.

Example D38 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D39and D40-D43, wherein the molding includes producing one or more poresthat recede inward with respect to an outer surface of the body of thescented article.

Example D39 includes the scented attachment of example D38, wherein theone or more pores include a plurality of pores arranged along the outersurface of the body of the scent ring in an array of periodic positionsor aperiodic positions, or is randomly positioned.

Example D40 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D39and D41-D43, wherein the molding includes producing one or moreprotrusions that protrude outward with respect to an outer surface ofthe body of the scented article.

Example D41 includes the scented attachment of example D40, wherein theone or more protrusions include a plurality of protrusions arrangedalong the surface of the body of the scent ring in an array of periodicpositions or aperiodic positions, or is randomly positioned.

Example D42 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D25-D41and D43, wherein the process to produce the scented attachment furthercomprises: creating a packaging to surround the scented article or aplurality of the scented articles to restrict air and contaminants fromcontact with the scented article or articles.

Example D43 includes the scented attachment of the preceding examples,wherein the base material includes a plastic material including apolyolefin.

In some example embodiments, a scented attachment for a beveragecontainer (example D44) includes a scented article having a body thatcomprises a scented material including a plastic material loaded with avolatile chemical compound to emanate from the body of the scentedarticle to generate a scent, wherein the scented article includes atleast one interior protruding structure that projects from an interiorwall of the body of the scented article and is configured to attach to abottle, wherein the scented article is produced by a process comprising:selecting a loading parameter of a fragrance oil with respect to aplastic base material to manufacture the scented material, wherein theloading parameter includes a % concentration of the scented material ina range of 1% to 30%; melting the plastic base material in a chamberincluding mechanically processing the base material to cause the plasticbase material to change from a solid phase to a liquid phase orliquid-like phase at a particular viscosity; mixing an amount of thefragrance oil in accordance with the selected loading parameter with themelted base material at a predetermined temperature and pressure in thechamber to form an intermediary scented material; extruding theintermediary scented material through holes of an extrusion plate toform an extruded intermediary scented material; modifying the extrudedintermediary scented material to form scented particles; cooling thescented particles in a fluid bath that prevents exposure of the scentedparticles to air; drying the cooled scented particles without applyingheat to produce the scented material; and producing the scented articleby molding the scented particles to a shape of the scented article.

Example D45 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44 orD46-67, wherein the beverage container includes a cap, and the scentedarticle is configured to be enclosed by a cap and the bottle when thecap is securely fastened to the bottle, such that the scent from thescented article is trapped when the cap is securely attached to thebottle and releases into an outer environment when the cap is detachedfrom the bottle.

Example D46 includes the scented attachment of example D45, wherein thebottle is structured to contain a fluid beverage, and the bottleincludes a body region and a neck region, the bottle including a collarthat extends outward and circumferentially around the neck region, and aledge structure that extends outward and circumferentially around theneck region and is positioned above the collar, wherein the scentedarticle is configured to fasten around the neck region of the bottlebased on contact between the at least one interior protruding structureof the scented article and a ledge structure of the bottle, wherein theat least one interior protruding structure is positioned below the ledgestructure.

Example D47 includes the scented attachment of example D45, wherein thecap is reversibly attachable to the bottle, and the cap includes aninterior rim structure that projects from and circumferentially aroundan interior cap wall of the cap, wherein the cap is structured toenclose the scented article in a compartment formed between the collarof the bottle and the interior rim structure of the cap when the cap issecurely fastened to the bottle.

Example D48 includes the scented attachment of example D45, wherein thescented article includes a scent ring.

Example D49 includes the scented attachment of example D48, wherein thescent ring further includes at least one exterior protruding structurethat projects from an exterior wall of the body of the scent ring.

Example D50 includes the scented attachment of example D49, wherein thescent ring is configured to detachably couple to the cap prior toinitial attachment of the cap and the scent ring to the bottle, whereinthe scent ring initially couples to the cap based on contact between theat least one exterior protruding structure of the scent ring and theinterior rim structure of the cap, and when the cap is initiallyfastened to the bottle the scent ring transfers from being coupled tothe cap to being coupled to the bottle based on contact between the atleast one interior protruding structure of the scent ring and the ledgestructure of the bottle.

Example D51 includes the scented attachment of example D48, wherein thescent ring includes a cut-away region across the body to allow the scentring to be detachably coupled to the bottle, such that the scent ring isselectively detachable from the bottle.

Example D52 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D51and D53-D67, wherein the plastic material includes a low densitypolyethylene (LDPE), a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), or anethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or a combination of any thereof.

Example D53 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D52and D54-D67, wherein the volatile chemical compound is loaded in theplastic material at a % concentration of 10%-30%.

Example D54 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D53and D55-D67, wherein the fragrance oil includes a carrier compound and ascented chemical compound.

Example D55 includes the scented attachment of example D54, wherein thecarrier compound includes medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and Triacetin(1,2,3-triacetoxypropane).

Example D56 includes the scented attachment of example D54, wherein thescented chemical compound includes at least one of (i) caproatesincluding a natural allyl caproate and/or ethyl caproate for ascent-flavor of pineapple; (ii) passionfruit sulfur including methyl4-propyl 1,3-oxathiane for the scent-flavor of passionfruit; (iii)tangerine oil for the scent-flavor of tangerine; (iv) ocimenes andmenthanethiol or mercaptan for the scent-flavor of mango; (v) lime oilfor the scent-flavor of lime; or (vi) peppermint oil and menthol for thescent-flavor of mint.

Example D57 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D54-D56,wherein the fragrance oil includes a % wt of MCT in a range of 50-80%wt, a % wt of Triacetin in a range of 15-25% wt, and a % wt of thescented chemical compound in a range of 1-30% wt.

Example D58 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D54-D56,wherein the fragrance oil includes MCT at substantially 60% wt,Triacetin at substantially 20% wt, and the volatile chemical compound atsubstantially 20% wt.

Example D59 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D58and D60-D67, wherein the molding includes injection molding orcompression molding using the scented material.

Example D60 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D59and D61-D67, wherein the molding includes producing one or more poresthat recede inward with respect to an outer surface of the body of thescented article.

Example D61 includes the scented attachment of example D60, wherein theone or more pores include a plurality of pores arranged along the outersurface of the body of the scent ring in an array of periodic positionsor aperiodic positions, or is randomly positioned.

Example D62 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D61and D63-D67, wherein the molding includes producing one or moreprotrusions that protrude outward with respect to an outer surface ofthe body of the scented article.

Example D63 includes the scented attachment of example D62, wherein theone or more protrusions include a plurality of protrusions arrangedalong the surface of the body of the scent ring in an array of periodicpositions or aperiodic positions, or is randomly positioned.

Example D64 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D63and D65-D67, wherein the process to produce the scented attachmentfurther comprises: creating a packaging to surround the scented articleor a plurality of the scented articles to restrict air and contaminantsfrom contact with the scented article or articles.

Example D65 includes the scented attachment of example D64, wherein thepackaging includes a sealed container that interfaces with an apparatusthat dries the cooled scented particles without applying heat to producethe scented material.

Example D66 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D65and D67, wherein the plastic base material includes a polyolefin.

Example D67 includes the scented attachment of any of examples D44-D66,wherein the plastic base material includes a polymer blend with rubber.

It is intended that the specification, together with the drawings, beconsidered exemplary only, where exemplary means an example. As usedherein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. Additionally, the use of “or” is intended to include“and/or”, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

While various instances have been described with reference to thespecific embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilledin the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of thedisclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt aparticular situation, material, composition of matter, process, processstep or steps, to the objective, spirit and scope of the invention. Allsuch modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claimsappended hereto.

While this patent document contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may beclaimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific toparticular embodiments of particular inventions. Certain features thatare described in this patent document in the context of separateembodiments can also be implemented in combination in a singleembodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in thecontext of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multipleembodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover,although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. Moreover, the separation of various system components in theembodiments described in this patent document should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments.

Only a few implementations and examples are described and otherimplementations, enhancements and variations can be made based on whatis described and illustrated in this patent document.

What is claimed is:
 1. A scented attachment for a beverage container,comprising: a scented article having a body that comprises a scentedmaterial including a plastic material loaded with a volatile chemicalcompound to emanate from the body of the scented article to generate ascent, wherein the scented article includes at least one interiorprotruding structure that projects from an interior wall of the body ofthe scented article and is configured to attach to a bottle, wherein thescented article is produced by a process comprising: selecting a loadingparameter of a fragrance oil with respect to a plastic base material tomanufacture the scented material, wherein the loading parameter includesa % concentration of the scented material in a range of 1% to 30%;melting the plastic base material in a chamber including mechanicallyprocessing the base material to cause the plastic base material tochange from a solid phase to a liquid phase or liquid-like phase at aparticular viscosity; mixing an amount of the fragrance oil inaccordance with the selected loading parameter with the melted basematerial at a predetermined temperature and pressure in the chamber toform an intermediary scented material; extruding the intermediaryscented material through holes of an extrusion plate to form an extrudedintermediary scented material; modifying the extruded intermediaryscented material to form scented particles; cooling the scentedparticles in a fluid bath that prevents exposure of the scentedparticles to air; drying the cooled scented particles without applyingheat to produce the scented material; and producing the scented articleby molding the scented particles to a shape of the scented article. 2.The scented attachment of claim 1, wherein the beverage containerincludes a cap, and the scented article is configured to be enclosed bya cap and the bottle when the cap is securely fastened to the bottle,such that the scent from the scented article is trapped when the cap issecurely attached to the bottle and releases into an outer environmentwhen the cap is detached from the bottle.
 3. The scented attachment ofclaim 2, wherein the bottle is structured to contain a fluid beverage,and the bottle includes a body region and a neck region, the bottleincluding a collar that extends outward and circumferentially around theneck region, and a ledge structure that extends outward andcircumferentially around the neck region and is positioned above thecollar, wherein the scented article is configured to fasten around theneck region of the bottle based on contact between the at least oneinterior protruding structure of the scented article and a ledgestructure of the bottle, wherein the at least one interior protrudingstructure is positioned below the ledge structure.
 4. The scentedattachment of claim 2, wherein the cap is reversibly attachable to thebottle, and the cap includes an interior rim structure that projectsfrom and circumferentially around an interior cap wall of the cap,wherein the cap is structured to enclose the scented article in acompartment formed between the collar of the bottle and the interior rimstructure of the cap when the cap is securely fastened to the bottle. 5.The scented attachment of claim 2, wherein the scented article includesa scent ring.
 6. The scented attachment of claim 5, wherein the scentring further includes at least one exterior protruding structure thatprojects from an exterior wall of the body of the scent ring.
 7. Thescented attachment of claim 6, wherein the scent ring is configured todetachably couple to the cap prior to initial attachment of the cap andthe scent ring to the bottle, wherein the scent ring initially couplesto the cap based on contact between the at least one exterior protrudingstructure of the scent ring and the interior rim structure of the cap,and when the cap is initially fastened to the bottle the scent ringtransfers from being coupled to the cap to being coupled to the bottlebased on contact between the at least one interior protruding structureof the scent ring and the ledge structure of the bottle.
 8. The scentedattachment of claim 5, wherein the scent ring includes a cut-away regionacross the body to allow the scent ring to be detachably coupled to thebottle, such that the scent ring is selectively detachable from thebottle.
 9. The scented attachment of claim 1, wherein the plasticmaterial includes a low density polyethylene (LDPE), a linear lowdensity polyethylene (LLDPE), or an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), or acombination of any thereof.
 10. The scented attachment of claim 1,wherein the volatile chemical compound is loaded in the plastic materialat a % concentration of 10%-30%.
 11. The scented attachment of claim 1,wherein the fragrance oil includes a carrier compound and a scentedchemical compound.
 12. The scented attachment of claim 11, wherein thecarrier compound includes medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and Triacetin(1,2,3-triacetoxypropane).
 13. The scented attachment of claim 11,wherein the scented chemical compound includes at least one of (i)caproates including a natural allyl caproate and/or ethyl caproate for ascent-flavor of pineapple; (ii) passionfruit sulfur including methyl4-propyl 1,3-oxathiane for the scent-flavor of passionfruit; (iii)tangerine oil for the scent-flavor of tangerine; (iv) ocimenes andmenthanethiol or mercaptan for the scent-flavor of mango; (v) lime oilfor the scent-flavor of lime; or (vi) peppermint oil and menthol for thescent-flavor of mint.
 14. The scented attachment of claim 12, whereinthe fragrance oil includes a % wt of MCT in a range of 50-80% wt, a % wtof Triacetin in a range of 15-25% wt, and a % wt of the scented chemicalcompound in a range of 1-30% wt.
 15. The scented attachment of claim 14,wherein the fragrance oil includes MCT at substantially 60% wt,Triacetin at substantially 20% wt, and the volatile chemical compound atsubstantially 20% wt.
 16. The scented attachment of claim 1, wherein themolding includes injection molding or compression molding using thescented material.
 17. The scented attachment of claim 1, wherein themolding includes producing one or more pores that recede inward withrespect to an outer surface of the body of the scented article.
 18. Thescented attachment of claim 17, wherein the one or more pores include aplurality of pores arranged along the outer surface of the body of thescent ring in an array of periodic positions or aperiodic positions, oris randomly positioned.
 19. The scented attachment of claim 1, whereinthe molding includes producing one or more protrusions that protrudeoutward with respect to an outer surface of the body of the scentedarticle.
 20. The scented attachment of claim 19, wherein the one or moreprotrusions include a plurality of protrusions arranged along thesurface of the body of the scent ring in an array of periodic positionsor aperiodic positions, or is randomly positioned.
 21. The scentedattachment of claim 1, wherein the process to produce the scentedattachment further comprises: creating a packaging to surround thescented article or a plurality of the scented articles to restrict airand contaminants from contact with the scented article or articles. 22.The scented attachment of claim 21, wherein the packaging includes asealed container that interfaces with an apparatus that dries the cooledscented particles without applying heat to produce the scented material.23. The scented attachment of claim 1, wherein the plastic base materialincludes a polyolefin.
 24. The scented attachment of claim 1, whereinthe plastic base material includes a polymer blend with rubber.